This spring, Edgecombe-Martin County EMC’s Sammy Clark joined a team of 15 volunteers from across North Carolina to bring electricity for the first time to the village of El Plan Nuevo Amanecer in Guatemala. From framing poles to constructing more than three miles of line, they helped complete every step of the project by hand, ultimately powering more than 50 homes, a school, two churches and the community’s only health clinic.

“This project reflects the heart of the cooperative spirit — neighbors helping neighbors, no matter the distance,” said Winston Howell. “We are incredibly proud of Sammy for using his skills to help bring electricity, opportunity and hope to families in Guatemala. Access to reliable power changes lives, and this effort is a reminder of the impact electric cooperatives can make when we work together to serve others.”

This project is part of a larger effort known as the Brighter World Initiative, a project led by North Carolina’s electric cooperatives. This offers volunteers an opportunity to carry the cooperative way beyond the communities they serve at home, using their skills to bring first-time access to electricity in underserved areas around the world. The projects are coordinated in partnership with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) International Foundation, working to expand access to electricity across the globe.

In El Plan Nuevo Amanecer, where access to education and job opportunities has been limited, electricity will make a real difference in everyday life. With power now in place, students will have better resources to learn, and homes and roads will be lit after dark, improving safety across the community. Electricity also opens the door for small businesses to grow and gives families new ways to cook and preserve food. Over time, these changes can help create new opportunities and a stronger future for the village.

To mark the project’s completion, community members, local leaders and volunteers gathered at the school for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration. Volunteers were honored with plaques, and a commemorative sign was installed in the village to recognize the achievement.