Four linemen from Jackson EMC recently volunteered with other linemen from Georgia’s electric companies to bring electricity to a remote village in north central Guatemala.
The linemen built four miles of electric lines to bring power to a village that had never experienced the benefits of electricity in just 17 days.
The electricity was brought to approximately 90 households, two schools and also two churches.
Jackson EMC journeymen linemen Pete Arteaga, Ben Campbell, Michael Fraser and Corey Willard joined forces with linemen from Cobb EMC, Coweta-Fayette EMC, GreyStone Power Corporation, Habersham EMC, Snapping Shoals EMC and Walton EMC.
Arteaga, a Jackson EMC lineman in Gainesville, said the project seemed daunting until the volunteer linemen from the participating cooperatives learned more about each other.
“Once we started working together and realized what each other knew and were capable of, and what each person was good at doing, that really helped out a lot,” Arteaga said.
The linemen also had to deal with the challenge of not having the tools and equipment they typically use for line work.
“Here at home, we have bucket trucks and line trucks and various battery tools. There—there’s nothing. It’s all on hooks and hand tools and very physical,” said Willard, a Jackson EMC lineman in Jefferson.
Prior to the project in Guatemala, Jackson EMC employees also contributed to the efforts to support the community in the village.
“In addition to the four guys who actually went to Guatemala to work on the project, we knew that the rest of our employees would want to help if given an opportunity,” said Tommy Parker, Jackson EMC’s vice president of operations.
Employees at the cooperative raised almost $7,000 for supplies and equipment at two schools in the village, including ceiling fans the volunteer linemen installed at the schools during the project.
“I will never forget this opportunity and taking part in it,” Campbell said. “It was a long 17 days. It was well worth the experience.”
