It’s not unusual to find Central Rural Electric Cooperative lineman, Clint Robinson, setting poles or pulling electrical wire on a dirt road in Oklahoma to power rural members. In October, he found himself doing that exact task. The only difference? He was in a jungle rather than the Plains. 

The Oklahoma Energy Trails Foundation sponsored 15 linemen from electric cooperatives across the state to bring electricity to the remote village of Barejones in Guatemala.

“Energy Trails gives you a whole new perspective on life back at home,” Robinson said. “From the equipment I use at work to the schools my kids get to go to, we don’t realize how much we have to be thankful for.”

The crews set 51 poles and approximately five miles of electrical line during their 18-day trip in the department of Jalapa, about three hours from Guatemala City.

The locals live in extreme poverty conditions without running water, plumbing and food refrigeration. The villagers depend on farming operations for economic sustainment. They produce corn, pepper, tomatoes and green beans among other agricultural products such as livestock.

The team visited a school that did not have electricity before their trip, something that resonated with Robinson whose wife teaches sixth grade.

“I sent photos to Jennifer so she could show her students the condition of a classroom here,” Robinson said. “The interpreter told us that most students in the village won’t complete school past sixth grade unless they have the means to go to a larger village to finish their education.” 

Nineteen homes and two elementary schools received electricity for the first time during the Energy Trails trip. A second phase of the village will be completed in January 2025 by lineworkers from Ohio’s electric cooperatives. Homes were equipped with four lightbulbs, two switches and two outlets.

“It makes it worth being here,” Robinson said. “Just knowing that what we’re doing will have an impact for generations.”