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. Some children live on top of an old rubbish dump in Zone 5 of Guatemala City. It is an extremely dangerous area where criminals, prostitutes and drug addicts live.

Hello! My name is Efrain Manases Chang Garcia and I am glad to belong to the Feeding Program. I was born on December 27, 2017. I am 9 years old and I am in good health. My father`s name is William Alexander Chang and my mother`s name is Gladiz Carina Garcia Menchu de De Chang. I have one brother and one sister. I live with my parents and siblings near the park, and as a family, we like to visit it on weekends. My parents are doing their best for us by working hard to provide for our basic needs and for our education which is the most important. My father makes backpacks and my mother is a babysitter.

I am a healthy and brave boy and I like to smile and play with my friends in my spare time. I enjoy studying and I am in 2^nd grade this year. I am 9 years old. I like to ride a bike and to read. I prefer to eat beans, and I love otters. Blue and yellow are my favorite colors. We attend the New Hope Christian Church.

Thankfully, my family and I are doing well. We live in our own house and we have three rooms and one separated kitchen. The rooms are made of block with a tin sheet roof and cemented floor. There is running water and electricity services and my father pays for them. We have one dog and one cat at home. I walk for ten minutes to come to the Feeding Program. I hope you like to read my information. Blessings to you!

Huge hugs,

Efrain Manases Chang Garcia

Translated by: Gladys de Cataví/A-A-C Secretary-Antigua