Cha���n� L��es ‘F����er’ Language of linework spans countries as crews electrify Guatemala
Lineworkers from the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives took a 19-day mission trip in October to bring power to 500 villagers in Guatemala.
by Preston Knight, Communication Manager
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here’s power in the unspoken word. Verbal interactions with EMRE could largely be ignored, too. Utility poles and wires are designed to accomplish the Santa Isabel residents primarily speak a Mayan language — same goal regardless of their location and the nuances of Q’equchi’ — so any outsider’s knowledge of Spanish was of little how they are manufactured. This held true for SVEC lineworker use there. Tim Wright during his October trip to electrify a Guatemalan Fortunately, language barriers did not stand in the way of village, where a lasting memory is climbing a pole with a local what was unanimously considered an impactful experience. counterpart who spoke no English. “It’s going to change their lives forever,” Wright says. “I didn’t speak any of his language, and he didn’t speak any TURNING UP THE HEAT of mine,” he says. “We both knew what was going on. We figured The trip nearly ended before work could begin. Civil unrest it out.” from recent Guatemalan elections shut down streets when the Wright, from Augusta County, and Luke Swanson, a crew arrived. They walked about a mile to the roadblock, where lineworker from Winchester, were SVEC’s representatives who translators helped convince protestors to allow the group to spent more than two weeks with a Virginia, Maryland & Delaware move forward. An eight-hour bus ride from Association of Electric Cooperatives’ group the airport to the hotel turned into a 12-hour in Guatemala. Alongside the local Empresa excursion. Municipal Rural de Electricidad, the crew “It was cool seeing them go against brought light to 500 villagers in the jungle something they felt was wrong,” Swanson outside of Santa Isabel, Ixcan. says. “They never bothered us. It was never “They were so excited for that,” Swanson a hazard.” says. “As soon as the local power company For Wright and Swanson, the trip heated it up, cheers.” represented their first international travels. To get there, it took building rapport on SVEC received a high amount of interest multiple levels. Wright and Swanson, for among lineworkers willing to go and picked example, had never met. Then, there was two names from a hat to attend. In recent learning the vernacular of other crews, and years, the co-op sent other lineworkers not just non-English-speaking ones. to Haiti and Bolivia, all part of National “Different co-ops use different words for Rural Electric Cooperative Association everything,” Swanson says. “Half the time, International. someone from central Virginia or southwest “It might be the only time I have the Virginia, they’re not going to call something opportunity. Why not?” Swanson says. how you call it. I disregard all the ones they Wright says: “It was the chance of a said. I don’t think I could remember one of Luke Swanson and Tim Wright (from lifetime. I didn’t want to miss out on it. It was them. left) represented SVEC on the trip, more than I expected.” “We’d be in the right category [of topics], working alongside the local Empresa That goes for the overall trip but also but they would need to explain it a different Municipal Rural de Electricidad. specific elements. The village was more way.” 16 • Cooperative Living • January-February 2024
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Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative
12/12/23 11:53 AM