Jody Hand and Curt Baker, veteran linemen at Georgia's Coweta-Fayette EMC, recently traveled to Guatemala to build power lines that connected a rural village to the national grid. Over a two-week period, they helped construct several miles of power lines, offering villagers access to something they never had before: safe, reliable electricity.

Here, Hand and Baker talk a little about their experience in Guatemala.

Jody Hand		Curt Baker

Why did you choose to travel to Guatemala with fellow linemen and the NRECA International Foundation?

Hand: “I really wanted to take advantage of an opportunity to do something different. Our co-op has sent several groups at different times, and this time, I wanted to help out, to do whatever I could do to help people in need.”

Baker: “I went because it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to help people. It was also a great opportunity to see another part of the world.”

How did you prepare for the trip? Did your preparations help once you got there?

Hand: “As far as preparing, well, we packed a crate of tools and food to use when we got there, but it was held up in Customs. So we prepared, but because of circumstances out of our control, we didn’t have what we needed once we got there. It was definitely an experience that made us appreciate what we had back home.”

Baker: “Jody’s right. We really didn’t have the material we were used to using. We were doing our work the same way they did 30, 40 years ago [using only manual tools]. It was tough, but we got by.”

What did you learn while you were in Guatemala?

Baker: “I learned that we are very lucky to have the tools we have in the United States. When we were in Guatemala, we went back to doing things the way they did 30 or 40 years ago. It really helped me learn to respect the people who did my job before me – and especially the people who started our co-op so many years ago.”

Hand: "I learned that there’s a whole other world out there. There’s a whole different way of living. It really opened my eyes to just how much we have.”

Is there anything specific you’ll remember about your trip?

Hand: “The best memory for me was meeting the guys who aren’t that far from here (linemen from other Georgia co-ops joined them on the trip) and improvising with them. Everyone was throwing in different ideas about how to do things. The people from Guatemala were great, too – they were always smiling.”

Baker: “I’ll never forget learning how to climb a poll with a rope.”

Would you recommend the experience to other co-op professionals?

Baker: “Absolutely. Anybody, anywhere needs to try something like this once. It would really give people a lot more respect for the way other people live. We have so much more than people in most of the world. The people we helped have so little compared to us; some of their houses didn’t have doors or windows. They wash their clothes in the river. I came back truly grateful for what I have.”

Hand: “It’s a great thing to help somebody, whether it’s a next door neighbor or someone in a different country. I would absolutely recommend volunteering, or helping NRECA International send other people out to help.”

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.