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 my pleasure to greet you in the name of Jesus hoping you enjoy reading my information! My name is Diana Sofia Arely Cuin Tzoc, and I am now 8 years old. I was born on December 12, 2017. I live happily with my parents, two brothers and three sisters. God has blessed my family with good health and we are so grateful for this. My father´s name is Pascual Cuin Chan. He carries heavy goods in “La Terminal” market in the mornings. He works in a grocery store in the middle of the day. My mother´s name is Sebastiana Tzoc Sucuqui de Cuin. She sells lunches at our home to help my father with the household needs.

Now, I will share a few things with you about me. I am in 2nd grade this year. I like coloring, playing with my dog and going to church. I love eating sea food and fried chicken. I love the color purple. The animal I like the most is the dog. We believe in God and are attending the King of the Centuries Church. We rent the house in which we are living and the monthly payment is Q2,500.00, $334.00. The house is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and a cement floor. There are eight rooms with a kitchen. We have running water and electricity; my older siblings contribute to pay the bills every month. We have some birds as pets. Our greatest needs are groceries, clothes and school shoes. We are a big family and have gone through many difficulties living in Guatemala City. My older siblings help my parents to cover the home expenses. We moved to Aone 5 and my siblings and I found the feeding program which has been a big blessing and refuge to us. That is all for now. May God bless you wherever you are!

Special hugs,

Diana Sofia Arely Cuin Tzoc

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala