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 beautiful day to say hello to you, and I hope you enjoy reading my information. This is Aitana Micaela Enriquez Ramirez. I was born on July 5, 2021, in Guatemala City. I am now 5 years old. I live with my mom and grandmother; thanks to the Lord, we are in good health. Vélica Nineth Enriquez Ramirez is my mother. She is working as a janitor and in that way, she can supply the necessities at home. Unfortunately, she works long hours and does not earn very much. My grandmother is Sandra Ramirez. She takes care of me and takes me to the feeding program. It is a great blessing for me to be enrolled in the program, and I walk 15 minutes to arrive.

I am in pre-kindergarten this year. I like to play with my dolls, memory game and coloring. My favorite color is pink. I like cats and dogs. The meals I love the most are noodles, pizza and rice. For now, we do not attend any church. Fortunately, my grandma owns the house in which we live, and we share the house with my uncles and cousins. There are two rooms and a kitchen. The house is made of blocks with a cement roof and a cement floor. There is running water and electricity; all the family contributes to pay for these services. We have a cat and a dog. We are a very humble family, and our greatest needs are groceries, shoes and a stove. Well, this is all for now. Every kind of blessing over you!

Lots of love,

Aitana Micaela Enriquez Ramirez

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