For Travis Housley, Volunteer Work in the Philippines is a Higher Calling

Travis Housley

Before Travis Housley, vice president of Special Projects at Big Rivers Electric Corporation in Henderson, Kentucky, made his first trip to the Philippines in 1998, he'd never even been out of the Southeastern United States. That year, he'd gone to a town in southern Philippines as part of a church mission. But when word got out that he was an electrical engineer, the local pastor asked for his help in bringing electricity to his village.

More than a year of planning for a hydro plant at a creek five miles distant over mountainous, jungle-choked terrain proved fruitless. But the project would awaken in Housley a calling: a profound empathy for the plight of an impoverished people that would lead to 11 years (and counting) of tireless efforts on their behalf.

Housley began working with the NRECA International Foundation soon after abandoning the hydro project. In 2001, he succeeded in connecting the village to a nearby electric cooperative.

Since his first trip, he's made 17 additional visits to the Philippines; helped in the electrification of nearly three dozen villages; orchestrated some 50 shipments of donated equipment to Filipino co-ops; begun an innovative house-wiring micro-loan program, and helped implement scores of community development projects, from rabbit and goat breeding to sewing co-ops.

Housley discussed the Philippine Project recently with International TieLine.

So your first project in the Philippines didn't quite work out.

I wasted about a year trying to develop that hydro project. Finally, I got a call from an engineer who was visiting the village, and he told me it just couldn't be done. But that kicked it off for me.

How did you get involved with the NRECA International Foundation?

It was after I had worked on the hydro project for some while that I was directed to NRECA's International Program. Our CEO heard what I was doing and said that I should check out the Foundation. That was my first contact.

I went to Washington and met with the folks there. They gave me some good direction. At the time, they were promoting the sister co-op program, so Big Rivers entered into a sister co-op relationship with DASURECO [Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative]. The goal was to energize a single village. We eventually did, and at that time, I considered us finished. But the co-op manager convinced me that there was more work to do. Since then, we've made 50 shipments with quite a bit of equipment. And the program has developed considerably, evolved considerably over the years into what it is today. We've also expanded our programs to two additional Philippine co-ops, DANECO and DORECO.

How have things in the region changed since 1998?

I don't see a lot of change, because each time I visit, we visit a new area, an area that's not been energized. Of course when I do visit an area that has been energized, you see all kinds of progress, radios and TVs. To me, these are just noise-makers. But to them, this is a contact for these people to the outside world. It's a quantum leap.

Housley crossing a log bridge near a Filipino village

Any mistakes or missteps along the way?

Oh, I've made plenty of mistakes. Like when we first started funding livelihood projects, somebody would say they wanted a loan, they'd tell us how much they needed, and if their business plan sounded good, we'd hand the money to them. Didn't take long for us to figure out that that wasn't the way to go.

But we've learned as we've gone along.

Looking back now, what's been the most rewarding aspect of your work?

The areas we're working in are very poverty stricken. As far as gratification, in some of the poorer areas, there's just such a tremendous appreciation for the kind of help that in the United States would almost be ignored because it would seem so small.

Any time a village gets electricity, there's a show of gratitude with a big celebration. The villagers realize a tremendous change in their lives.

I guess it's the ability, with such little effort, to change the lives of people. It's almost a shame not to do it.

What do you think the future holds for these villages?

To me the big potential benefactor of electricity in some of these rural areas are the children. Mindanao [the southern Philippines island where Housley has focused his efforts] is the country's main agricultural region. By introducing electricity and then computers into the schools, we give kids the opportunity to avail themselves of some of the more modern agricultural techniques. Education for the next generation is one big input that gives me encouragement.

Would you say NRECA International Foundation has been instrumental in the Philippines Project successes?

It definitely has. I'd never been out of the Southeast U.S. when I went on my first trip. The Foundation has always given me information on things that had been tried in other areas and things to watch out for. Every time I thought I was inventing something new, I'd come to the Foundation and they'd say, "Well, we've tried that a few times here or there."

Housley with villagers at an energization ceremony

The Foundation's assistance with ocean freight has been a tremendous help in getting donated equipment over to the Philippines.

There's also Gil Medina, my Filipino co-worker in the Philippines. He has served as the Foundation’s in-country representative for a number of years on many projects. Gil's worked for the NEA [National Electrification Administration] and served as general manager of a co-op and president of the Philippines equivalent of NRECA. His in-depth familiarity with the Philippine electric co-op systems has contributed tremendously to the Philippine Project’s success.

And then of course there's Ingrid and the staff there being the hub for donations and whatnot from around the country. That's been a necessity.

I'm very grateful for the service they're providing. They've been extraordinarily helpful.

You're 66 now. How long do you think you'll keep going with these projects?

I'm getting to the point that these river-swimming expeditions are getting a little more difficult. My retirement will eventually come. But the Big Rivers board has committed to supporting me with finances even after I retire. They, along with our member systems, have taken a real interest in this effort and have been tremendous supporters over the years. I guess we’ll just wait and see how long I last.

If you are interested in volunteer opportunities with NRECA International, please visit our Get Involved Page and send in an application. If you have any questions about volunteering, you can email Ingrid Hunsicker or call at 703-907-5629.

Learn more about NRECA International Foundation.