Nobody in the village of Palmira, Guatemala, has waited longer to see the light than Juliana Lopez Aguilar.

 

The 105-year-old woman shed tears of joy after Project Indiana lineworkers installed electricity at her home for the first time on February 5, 2025.

 

And Aguilar wasn’t the only one. A total of 197 families in 109 homes were able to turn on the lights after two weeks of work from the 16 members of the Project Indiana crew and six support staff, including 11 linemen from Hoosier Energy member cooperatives. Each home received two outlets, three overhead lights and three light switches.

 

Juliana Lopez Aguilar poses with Project Indiana workers, including Decatur County REMC’s Collin Crabtree, right, in Palmira, Guatemala, on February 5, 2025.

It may not sound like much, but it was everything to the people of Palmira.

 

And it meant something to the workers too.

 

“As I conclude my participation in this transformative experience, I’m filled with gratitude and enthusiasm for the opportunity to join Project Indiana again in the future,” RushShelby Energy lineman Jaylin Brown posted on Facebook. “Guatemala, with its breathtaking beauty, has left an indelible mark on my heart.”

 

Other Hoosier Energy member participants included Jonah Brewer of Bartholomew County REMC, Bo Simpson of Clark County REMC, Collin Crabtree and Paul Trenkamp of Decatur County REMC, Garret Berg of Dubois REC, Steve Saltsgaver of Harrison REMC, Brandon Bambusch of Orange County REMC, Cody Campbell and Dakota Grimes of South Central Indiana REMC, and Jimmy Applegate of Southern Indiana Power.

 

Their travels began on January 29, flying out of Indianapolis early in the morning and arriving at a hotel in Guatemala late that night to begin a two-week journey.

 

The next day they arrived at the village that would be their home away from home for the next two weeks, which would see each day begin around 6:30 a.m. and end around 6 p.m.

 

Things didn’t always goes as planned, such as the racks used to hold large reels of wire breaking despite being used for the project infrastructure build in 2023. However, a little creativity resulted in pulling about four spans of line and hanging it on poles to get the work underway outside while inside wiring crews began their work as well – with a little help.

 

Southern Indiana Power’s Jimmy Applegate works on a pole in Palmira, Guatemala, as part of Project Indiana 2025.

A young 10-year-old boy named Billy quickly became the workers’ shadow, greeting each one with a fist bump and a smile while introducing himself. Whatever language barrier existed disappeared quickly as Billy watched the linemen wire the home where he lives with his family, including two brothers and two half-sisters.

 

Even after the crew moved on to other homes, Billy followed. With only one teacher in the village of Palmira, students rotate in increments of two to three weeks depending on grade level. Billy’s grade was conveniently not in session, allowing him to become an assistant. He grabbed tools, held ladders, fetched a part and did anything else he could as the crew went from home to home.

 

Meanwhile, the outside crews also pulled secondary wire through the coffee fields that surround the village.

 

With pickup trucks arriving filled with refrigerators and electric stoves, this remote mountain village began to experience modern conveniences by the time all was said and done.

 

It was exactly what linemen like Harrison REMC’s Steve Saltsgaver hoped for ahead of the trip.

 

“I’m most excited to be able to provide electricity to someone who has never had it,” he told Indiana Electric Cooperatives. “Think of how it will feel for them to turn on a light switch or preserve food for days. I am looking forward to bringing that opportunity to others.”