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.

It is a wonderful day to greet you through this and I trust in God you are doing well! This is Mia Dayanara Angelli Arana Orozco. My birthday is December 7, 2018, and I am now 7 years old. I live only with my mom and I have no siblings or relatives. Sadly, my maternal grandparents and aunt passed away in 2024; they were our only relatives. My mother´s name is Jared Elisa Orozco Barrios. She makes a living by sewing clothes and cleaning houses. Although we have gone through economic difficulties, my mom and I struggle daily to have food at home and I can attend school. My father´s name is Angel Alejandro Arana Reyna. Sadly, he does not live with us because he is in jail. He went to prison because of violence against my mom.

Let me share with you a few things about me. I am in first grade this year. I love coloring, playing memory games and with my dolls. The meals I love to have are eggs and black beans. The animal I like the most is the cat, and I love the color pink. As for my health, let me tell you that I suffer from an allergy because of the dramatic weather changes. I want you to pray for my mother´s health; she has an inguinal hernia on the right side. She has not visited a doctor because of a lack of resources, and there is no one to take care of me if she goes to the doctor. We are not attending any church for now. Thank God, we live in our own property. We have a room and a kitchen. Those are made of cinderblock walls with a tin sheet roof and a cement floor. There is running water and electricity, and my mom pays for them with the money she gets from her job. At the moment, our greatest needs are groceries and school support. I am so excited to be enrolled in the feeding program; I get there in 10 minutes by walking. My mom usually accompanies me. Thank you so much for your beautiful heart for the people in Guatemala like me. Every kind of blessing over you!

Warm hugs,

Mia Dayanara Angelli Arana Orozco

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