Beginning in 2012, the International Year of the Cooperative, two teams of Indiana linemen spent a month electrifying three villages in Guatemala. Lives were changed, both here and there.

In 2015, the vision grew into Project Indiana and sustainable change — moving beyond electrifying villages, to making them a better place to live and enhancing the community — just as happened 80 years ago when electricity first came to rural Indiana.

With support from NRECA International and the Guatemalan government, Indiana Electric Cooperatives are adopting a region in Guatemala, partnering with Arkansas co-ops, and rotating work trips every other year to bring the tools and resources the Guatemalans need to do what they’re capable of doing, including forming a cooperative and improving education, nutrition, water and health care.

“At the end of the day, it’s not going to be our victory; it’s going to be their victory. Hoosiers are hard workers. We’re committed to doing what needs to be done. We’ve not met a challenge we’re not willing to take on. But at the end of the day, we’re very much like the Guatemalan people – just good people wanting to make a difference for their families,” said Jennifer Rufatto, IEC vice president of communications and human resources.

To find out how you can get involved, visit the Project Indiana page on www.indianaec.org.

You can learn more of what’s happening as the program grows and see the impact your contributions have. All donations are tax-deductible and go directly to the program, with the electric cooperatives covering all administrative costs.