Linemen Light Up the World One Village at a Time

Dec. 21, 2018
Electric cooperatives in Oklahoma and Colorado sent volunteer linemen to Guatemala to power two remote villages.

Linemen from Colorado and Oklahoma electric cooperatives volunteered their time and talents to give the gift of electricity to two remote villages in Guatemala.

The Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives and Colorado Rural Electric Association sent 15 volunteer linemen to electrify two remote villages in northwestern Guatemala: Pie del Cerro and Tierra Blanca Salinas. This electrification project, possible through the coordination of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) philanthropic arm, NRECA International, brought first-time access to electricity to 100 homes, two elementary schools, two health centers and five churches. The project, dubbed Energy Trails, brought electricity to two villages nestled near a rainforest, about 30 km from the Mexican border. 

Check out the photos from the recent volunteer project, in which linemen were able to connect with the local community and make a difference in the lives of the villagers in Guatemala. Also, the following is a new video just released about the volunteer project. Click here to make a donation to support the Energy Trails team or buy clean water for Guatemalan villages. 

About the Author

Amy Fischbach | Amy Fischbach, EUO Contributing Editor

Amy Fischbach is the Field Editor for T&D World magazine and manages the Electric Utility Operations section. She is the host of the Line Life Podcast, which celebrates the grit, courage and inspirational teamwork of the line trade.  She also works on the annual Lineworker Supplement and the Vegetation Management Supplement as well as the Lineman Life and Lineman's Rodeo News enewsletters. Amy also covers events such as the Trees & Utilities conference and the International Lineman's Rodeo. She is the past president of the ASBPE Educational Foundation and ASBPE and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Kansas State University. She can be reached at [email protected]

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