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.

I am so grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to be enrolled in the feeding program. Thank you for reading my information. This is Malory Yoana Medina Navarro, a 10-year-old girl. I was born on April 17, 2016. I have only one sister. My biological father´s name is Wilson Rodolfo Medina Mateo. My biological mother´s name is Candy Estefani Navarro. Sadly, neither my mother nor father lives with me. My mother chose the wrong path, and we know nothing about her. As for my father, we do not know where he is. I live with my sister, my sister´s grandmother (my adoptive grandmother), and her partner. Their names are Marta Romero and Leonel Vasquez. He works as a window installer, and he is the only who provides our needs. I am very thankful to God because my adoptive grandmother takes care of me even though it is not her responsibility. She has not abandoned me even though she has had some difficulties for having me. For now, we do not attend any church.

I am in fourth grade this year. I like to play with my dolls, play lottery, football and dance. I love eating hamburgers, and my favorite color is sky blue. I like dogs, in fact we have three of them, and we also have a parrot and a cat. Thank God, I am in good health. I would like you to pray for my adoptive grandmother´s health. She suffers from diabetes and receives medical care in the health center. We are living in a rented house, and the monthly payment is Q1,000.00, $134.00. We share the house with some uncles and my adoptive grandmother´s older daughter. There are two rooms made of blocks with a tin sheet roof and a cement floor. There is running water and electricity services; all the family contributes to pay for them. We are a humble family, and our greatest needs are groceries, shoes and school support. My sister and I walk for 30 minutes to arrive at the program. Well, this is all for now, but feel free to ask for more information about me. May our Lord continue to bless you wherever you go!

Lots of love,

Malory Yoana Medina Navarro

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