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.

Good morning! It is my pleasure to share my information in this opportunity. My full name is Iker Adrian Lopez Gomez, and I am a 4-year-old boy. I was born on July 3, 2021. I live with my parents and one sister. God has blessed us with good health and we are so grateful for this. Edgar Roberto Lopez Carrera is my father and he works as a construction assistant. Sofia Maribel Gomez Arriaza is my mother and she works as a massage therapist's assistant. My father was not living with us for a period of time, but my sister and I missed him a lot, and thanks to God, he returned at home. 

Here you have a few things about me. Due to my young age, I am still not attending school. So, I stay at home and play with my toy cars, toy motos, watch TV and play football. The animals I like the most are dogs and the turtle. In fact, those are my pets. I love the color blue. The meals I love the most are chicken broth and pasta with sauce. My family and I are attending the Catholic Church. We live in my grandmother´s house. There are three block rooms with a tin sheet roof and a cement floor; the kitchen is separate. There is no running water or electricity and my grandparents share these from their house with us. My parents contribute to pay these bills. My parents struggle daily to supply our needs; however, we have gone through economic difficulties since they do not earn very much. We sleep all together in the same bed. For now, our greatest needs are groceries and a bed. I am so blessed to be enrolled at the feeding program and I walk for about 15 minutes to arrive. I thank you for taking the time to read my information today. Many and abundant blessings over you!

Lots of love,

Iker Adrian Lopez Gomez

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala