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 brilliant day to say hello to you and share my information through Living Water. My name is Marta Sarahi Abigail Arellano Romero. I was born on January 5, 2019, and I am now 7 years old. I am living with my parents and I have no siblings. My father´s name is Luis Fernando Arellano Castro. He works as a pharmacy clerk, and he provides for the family´s needs. My mother´s name is Nohemi Abigail Romero. She usually stays at home, does the household work and watches over me. Thanks to God, I am in good health and so are my parents. My family and I do not attend any church. I am in 1^st grade at school. I love to play with my dolls, lottery and coloring. My favorite color is pink, and my favorite animal is the dog. I love to eat noodles with sauce. Our pets are one cat and three dogs.

My family and I are living in a rented house, and the monthly payment is Q1,000.00, $134.00. It is a block house with a tin sheet roof and a cement floor. There are five rooms, but we use only two of them and the kitchen is separate. There is running water and electricity services; my mom and grandpa pay for them. My maternal grandparents and uncles are living with us. For now, our greatest needs are groceries and footwear. I walk 30 minutes to get to the program, and it is a great blessing for me and my family. I want to share with you that I had surgery when I was only 8 months old. I got sick and I had convulsions, so my parents took me to the doctor, and they found that I was born with double collector system. So, they did a correction in my urethra, and I was at the hospital for a month and a half. Thanks to God´s mercy, I am doing well and I am a healthy girl. Well, this is all for now. I would like to hear news from you soon. May God bless you!

Warm hugs,

Marta Sarahi Abigail Arellano Romero

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez, A-A-C Secretary-Antigua