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. It is an extremely dangerous area where criminals, prostitutes and drug addicts live.  

Hello! I feel so happy to be able to write this letter for you to tell you about my life. My name is Luis Gerardo Mancilla. I was born on May 15, 2016. I am now 9 years old. I am a second-grade student. The things that I like to do the most are playing soccer, toy cars, painting and legos. My favorite color is red and I love monkeys. A delicious dish for me is fried chicken. Thanks to God, I am a healthy boy. About my family: I live with my grandmother Roberta because my mother Elvira Mancilla decided to go to the United States two years ago in order to find better opportunities there. She works as a maid. Now, she keeps in touch with us and sends money every two months. My father has never been present in my life and I do not know anything about him. My family attends a church called “Refugio de la Oveja” (Sheep's Refuge).

We live in our grandmother´s house, and it is made of block, tin sheet roof and concrete floor, and we have running water and electricity. My grandmother pays the services. There are four rooms but we use only one and share the kitchen with our relatives. I have one dog at home. Our greatest needs are groceries, shoes and school uniforms. The feeding program is 20 minutes walking from my home. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my letter.

With much love,

Luis Gerardo Mancilla

Translated by: Lucia Gravez