Miracle of Light in Guatemala

In 1994, Kandiyohi Power Cooperative, based in Spicer, Minn., established ties with Iloilo I Electric Cooperative in Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines, considered one of the most progressive utilities in that Pacific nation. Due to the success of its Filipino endeavor, Kandiyohi Electric, 11 years later, formed another sister relationship with Empresa Eléctrica Municipal de Zacapa (Zacapa), a municipal electric system serving Zacapa, Guatemala, and the surrounding region.

Dave George, Kandiyohi Electric CEO, sympathizes with the utility infrastructure issues facing Zacapa. “Poles are still set by hand and linemen work without safety equipment,” he mentions. “Despite these challenges, most of the city of Zacapa is electrified, but those living in surrounding mountain redoubts do not have power.”

Staff from the North Star State co-op have made several visits to Zacapa to train linemen and staff on how to tackle various operational and administrative issues. Last fall, Kandiyohi Electric raised $11,000 through a local fundraiser to recondition a bucket truck and a digger-derrick truck (donated by Bayfield Electric Cooperative in Iron River, Wis.) and ship them to the Guatemalan village.

“It’s a life-changing experience—seeing others do so much with so little and being able to help them help themselves,” George relates. “And it has changed how we do business as well. I’m learning Spanish, and several of our customer service representatives have been to Spanish language training for basic utility ‘speak.’

<< Back to Sister Cooperative Partnership Program home page