According to the International Energy Agency, more than 750 million people globally lack access to electricity. While that number is getting smaller each year, progress is slow and incremental. If you’re wondering why, just ask the 18 members of the Oregon Empowers team who, in March, electrified the village of Aldea Coco, Guatemala.
3 hours from Guatemala City, Aldea Coco is an isolated, mountainous village with few economic opportunities. This is the second such mission of Oregon Empowers, following up on a successful effort in 2023 to electrify the village of Jalapa, Guatemala. Aldea Coco, however, presented these men with challenges not faced by their 2023 counterparts.
Not only did the team have to deal with the mile-high altitude, but those accustomed to a mild Northwest spring had to adapt to a punishing 100-degree heat as they built more than 2 miles of line over impossibly difficult terrain.
Nothing was easy. A language barrier caused logistical problems. Power poles that were supposed to be in the ground when the crew arrived were just on the ground, creating a significant setback. The crew persevered, however, fueled by the prospect of improving the lives of the amazingly resilient villagers. They saw women doing wash in a nearby stream and cooking with wood inside a smoky home.
They also heard stories of villagers who had waited their whole lives for electricity. An 86-year-old man had heard promises before—too many to count—of the government bringing electricity to the village. No one ever came. Until now. After 2 weeks of arduous work, the crew energized 26 homes, 1 church, and 1 school.
These numbers will not impress the International Energy Agency. The easy-to-electrify places are off the list. What remains are remote and forgotten villages with people who have lost hope waiting for electricity to power lights, a refrigerator, or a stove. But the people of Aldea Coco are not statistics. And thanks to the Oregon Empowers team, their wait is over.
Executive Director Ted Case
