9/12/25
Three Duck River Electric linemen, Lucas Burk, Chase Cares and Cody McIlwain, joined 12 other volunteers from Tennessee’s electric cooperatives to bring electricity to two remote villages in Guatemala. Over the 17-days in Guatemala, the linemen, working alongside members of the local municipality, built 8 miles of electric line, set 34 poles by hand and connected 28 homes, two schools and one small business. The work was grueling: poles weighing up to 800 pounds were hauled by hand up steep trails, equipment was carried on dirt bikes, and holes were dug with hand tools instead of machinery. Yet every obstacle was met with determination, teamwork and grit.
The project was part of NRECA International, a program of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association that has, since 1962, partnered with co-ops across the U.S. to deliver electricity to underserved communities around the world. Volunteers, including linemen, engineers, managers and directors, donate their time, skills and resources to improve lives in countries such as Guatemala, Haiti, Costa Rica, Bolivia, the Philippines, South Sudan and Uganda.
For the DREMC linemen, the mission was more than stringing wire and setting poles. Their work is an extension of what they do every day at home. The Tennessee linemen didn’t just bring electricity to these villages for the first time — they brought hope and a better quality of life.
