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 a wonderful day to greet you and share my information with you through Living Water. My full name is Christofer Santiago Vit Lorenzana. My birthdate is December 30, 2017, and I am an 8-year-old boy. I live alongside my parents and two brothers. By the grace of God, we are in good health. Hector Alfredo Vit Castro is my father, and Ruth Annaly Lorenzana Juarez is my mother. Unfortunately, they lost their old jobs and since then my parents have not had formal jobs; they work as food delivery people. Nevertheless, their income is low which makes it difficult to cover all our expenses.

Now, I will share a few things about me. I am in first grade this year. The things I love to do are coloring, playing toys cars and memory. My favorite color is green. The animal I like the most is the lion. I love eating, but my favorite meals are baked ribs and fish. We do not attend any church for now. We are living in my grandmother´s house, and we do not pay rent. My grandma and uncles are living there. There are five rooms; we use two rooms and the kitchen is separate. The house is made of blocks with tin sheets; the roof is also made of tin sheets and a concrete floor. Fortunately, there is running water and electricity. We also have running water and electricity, and the whole family helps pay for these services. Our pet is a dog. We live near a school and a park. At the moment, our greatest needs are groceries and shoes for school. This is all for now and I hope you find my letter interesting. Many rich blessings over you!

Lots of love,

Christofer Santiago Vit Lorenzana

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