Linemen's Work Brings Light to Sudan Town
(Excerpt reprinted with permission from "Country Circuit," the Three Rivers co-op newsletter)

For Travis Lumpkin and Brad Libbert, the trip was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. But it was so much more than that. The two Three Rivers linemen were able to provide light for the people of Maridi, Sudan.

"The people were very nice," Libbert said. "They all wanted to shake our hands. They were all very appreciative."

While in Sudan, Libbert and Lumpkin worked with local men to install 21 poles and 19 street lights.

There is some electricity in the village. Most of the stores are powered by generators, but those are used sparingly because of the cost. Street lighting is often a priority for development assistance because it provides security as well as illumination for commercial enterprises and major transport corridors during evening hours.

"Installing the street lights was something that could be built and the locals could see the results from it right away," Lumpkin said.

Libbert and Lumpkin and their crew of village residents worked from daylight till dark.

"Everything is different there. Whenever it's dark, you go to sleep. There is no night life in the village at all," Libbert said.

The linemen also had to learn to work without the advanced tools they are used to using at their cooperative.

"We had a gas-powered drill," said Lumpkin. "We did everything else by hand, like loading and unloading of wire reels and poles. The poles were set in holes that had been pre-drilled, but when holes had to be dug, they were dug with shovels. There were no digging trucks equipped with pole claws. The linemen and their crew used pike poles to set the poles."

Libbert and Lumpkin said they didn't mind working with more primitive tools.

"The work wasn't bad," Libbert said. "We worked hard, and that made the time go by. We were really tired by the end of the day."