NRECA International’s connection and heritage with the electrification of rural America brings not just a unique perspective but also a culture of serving communities. We convene cooperative efforts to build and operate community-owned infrastructures, an attribute that is key to long-term success for many electrification endeavors.
Having witnessed firsthand how their own communities have benefited from the rural electric cooperative model, NRECA’s U.S. member cooperatives are committed to supporting cooperative development to empower communities in Latin America, Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. More than 300 NRECA-member cooperatives contribute time, money and materials to dozens of rural communities served by NRECA International projects. Scores of co-op directors, linemen, engineers, managers and other employees spend weeks of their time every year to serve as volunteers in countries like Haiti, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Bolivia, the Philippines, South Sudan, and Uganda. They work with partner communities to expand electric access and build human capacity through a wide variety of volunteer assignments.
America’s electric co-op workforce is intimately connected to members, and line crews and staff volunteer time and resources as a direct expression of concern for community. Co-op employees who travel far to volunteer their skills come back changed and even more committed to continue the co-op legacy and empower communities abroad and at home.