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. Life in Zone 5 is very difficult. Some children live on top of an old rubbish dump in Zone 5 of Guatemala City. It is an extremely dangerous area where criminals, prostitutes and drug addicts live.

Special regards! My name is Keneth Yosias Ochoa and I am so happy to share a little about my life with you through this letter. I was born on December 28, 2019. I am 6 years old and I am in kindergarten. Some of my interests are playing soccer, painting, playing memory game, spinning tops, yo-yos, and toy cars. My favorite animals are lions, I like the color blue, and I love eating pizza, eggs, and beans. I live with my mother, grandmother, and siblings. I have one brother and one sister. Thankfully, we are all in good health. We are members of a Christian Church called Restauration. My mother’s name is Yeimi Abigail Ochoa and she works as a waitress. I want to open my heart and tell you that my father did not recognize me legally because when I was born, he traveled to the United States. Unfortunately, we do not know anything about him since then.

Therefore, my mother strives to support our family. Some of our needs are clothes, shoes, groceries, and school supplies. While my mother works, my grandmother takes care of my sister and me. We live in a rented house and my mother pays Q1000=$131.14 monthly. The house is made of concrete block with concrete roof and concrete floor. It has two rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity and running water. The payment for the services is not included in the rent payment, so my mother must earn money to cover the services monthly. I am so happy because I can attend the feeding program alongside my siblings. We usually walk for one hour and a half from where we live to get there. It is almost time to say goodbye, but I kindly ask you to pray for my mother so that God helps her to move forward with our family as a single parent. In advance, thank you so much!

Cordially yours,

Keneth Yosias Ochoa

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary/ Guatemala