My Story

Nueva Esperanza, which means New Hope, is located in a slum area of Guatemala City, Guatemala. An extremely poor area, our program is squeezed in among the shanty dwellings built over an old city dump. Many houses in this area are without toilets or running water and are assembled with scrap wood, sheet metal, and cardboard. Zone 5, where Nueva Esperanza is located, is considered one of the most dangerous areas of Guatemala City. It is controlled by gangs and drug pushers. Robberies and murders are common in this area. Public education is available - however, many cannot afford it.

Special regards to you! My name is Luis Alejandro Sasvin Lopez, and I am excited to share about my life with you. I was born on July 16, 2016. Fortunately, I am a healthy boy. I am 9 years old and attend school as a second grader. My favorite food is pizza. I enjoy going for walks to the park and watching TV. My favorite animals are chickens, and I like the color red. I am an only child in my family. I live with my parents and grandmother. My parents are Juan Luis Sasvin Juarez and Lidia Maricela Lopez Toledo. My father works as a security guard for a bank, while my mother keeps busy with the household chores and taking care of me. At the moment, we do not attend any church. We live at my grandmother’s house. It is made of concrete blocks with a concrete roof and a ceramic floor. It has three rooms and a separate kitchen. My parents and I only use one room of the house. Fortunately, we have electricity and running water at home. My father contributes to the household expenses. The feeding program is near where I live. I usually walk for 20 minutes to get there. I will leave you now, but please pray for my family and our well-being. May God reward you in advance!

Sincerely yours,

Luis Alejandro Sasvin Lopez

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala