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.

Hello! This is Sergio Gabriel Palma Chon, and I want to share a little about my life with you. I am a healthy 12-year-old boy. I was born on October 7, 2012. I am in sixth grade. My favorite pastimes are watching TV, and playing soccer. I love eating pizza and fried chicken. My favorite animals are lions and sharks. My favorite colors are red, orange, and yellow. Now, let me tell you about my family. My father’s name is Luis Alberto Ramos Ortiz. He makes a living by making backpacks. He does his best to cover our needs. Our priorities are shoes, clothes, and groceries. My mother’s name is Claudia Victoria Palma Chon. She keeps busy doing the chores and taking care of my siblings and me. I have one brother and one sister.

We are Catholics and attend a nearby Church called Mary Helper of Christians. My family and I live in a rented house. My father pays Q1000=$133.33 for rent monthly. The house is made of adobe with a metal sheet roof and a concrete floor. It only has two rooms, so we use one room as a bedroom and the other one as a kitchen. The house has electricity and running water services. As for pets, we have fish at home. We live near to the feeding program. We only walk for 10 minutes to get there. It is time to say goodbye to you now, but I hope to hear from you soon.

Kind regards,

Sergio Gabriel Palma Chon

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala