Adults and children in the isolated, mountainous village of La Montanita de la Virgen, Guatemala are currently in the dark. The village has never had access to electricity before, but their story will soon change.
The Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives (OAEC) has selected a group of volunteer linemen to electrify La Montanita this coming August. One of the selected team members Bristow’s own Jason
Childress. Childress has worked as a journeyman lineman for East Central Electric Cooperative for 21 years and this will be his second volunteer mission to electrify rural Guatemala. In 2017, Childress and other volunteers traveled to the remote village of Chiis, where they connected 65 homes to electricity for the first time.
Recalling his 2017 Childress said, “I was all in right off the bat. It seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime. His first time to travel outside the U.S., Childress was impressed by the beauty of the mountainous country.
Villagers lived in one or two room homes with dirt floors and a fire pit that served as the kitchen. The women washed clothes on a rock in the sink. The children formed close bonds with the team members, following them throughout the day, reaching out to hold their hands and offering to carry their tools.
“Fascinated by some of the team s beards, the kids wanted to touch their faces constantly,” Childress said.
The warm, humid weather and steep, muddy terrain made for tough working conditions. The team drank water nonstop to combat dehydration, but Childress recalls the villagers barely broke a sweat.
Excited about electricity, the villagers asked every day, Cuántos días? How many days? The team finished the project in three weeks.
“We went over there thinking we were going to bring power to less fortunate people, but the more time we spent with them, we realized they were better off than we were,” Childress said. “They didn’t have running water or electricity, but they were happy. They were always smiling. It really puts life into perspective.”
East Central Electric Cooperative General manager Tim Smith said, “We are proud to send Jason Childress as an ambassador for our co-op and for our state in this mission of providing first-time electricity to those who have none.This type of commitment and concern for community speaks to the value of the cooperative difference, which transcends borders.”
The electrification project, dubbed Energy Trails, will be a joint effort between Oklahoma and Colorado’s electric cooperatives. The mission will be coordinated through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) philanthropic arm, NRECA International.
Providing oversight to the project is the OAEC International Committee, comprised of nine trustees from the statewide association board, which represents 30 electric cooperative member-systems. The committee recently selected a team of 12 volunteers and designated three alternates for the upcoming trip. Four additional volunteer linemen from Colorado will embark on this journey with their Oklahoma counterparts.
“We are grateful for the positive response of Oklahoma co-op linemen who are willing to leave their homes and families for an extended period of time to empower faraway communities,” says OAEC International Committee Chairman Jimmy Taylor.“Access to electricity will bring economic empowerment, better access to health care and enhanced safety for these villagers. It’s a life-changing gift.”
The project site is located in the department (state) of Jalapa, east of Guatemala City. The volunteer linemen will work for three weeks building powerlines, installing transformers and conducting internal wiring of the homes to receive first-time electricity. Upon completion, 76 homes, one elementary school, a health center and one church will benefit from access to electric power.
The following volunteers were selected to serve on the project: Richard Jackson (Alfalfa Electric Cooperative, Cherokee-Okla.), Darren Frazier (Choctaw Electric Cooperative, Hugo-Okla.), Brandon Shirey (Cimarron Electric Cooperative, Kingfisher-Okla.), Billy Patterson (CKenergy Electric Cooperative, Binger-Okla.), Jarrod Hooper (Cotton Electric Cooperative, Walters-Okla.), Jason Childress (East Central Electric Cooperative, Okmulgee-Okla.),Team Leader Damon Lester (Indian Electric Cooperative, Cleveland-Okla.), Shane Stiger (Indian Electric Cooperative, Cleveland-Okla.), Matt Montgomery (Northeast Electric Cooperative, Vinita-Okla.), Brad Hunter (Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, Norman-Okla.), Matt Caldwell (Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, Norman-Okla.), Justin Marsh (Southwest Rural Electric Association, Tipton-Okla.). Alternates are Jerry Cundiff and Clint Robinson (Central Rural Electric Cooperative, Stillwater-Okla.) and Trevor Howard (Northwestern Electric Cooperative, Woodward-Okla.).
This project marks the fifth electrification project Oklahoma’s electric cooperatives have sponsored in Central and South America.
“Bringing electricity to remote areas in developing countries takes electric cooperatives back to their roots. It is an honor to pay it forward,” says OAEC General Manager Chris Meyers. “This mission reinforces our commitment to empower generations by improving the quality of life for local communities at home and abroad.”