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A team from the United States Embassy yesterday paid courtesy calls on both the Region Ten Chairman, Renis Morian, and newly-elected Mayor of Linden Carwyn Holland.Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland (left) appears pleased as his deputy presents Humanitarian Assistance Programme Director Eric Antinucci with a gift.Representing the Humanitarian Assistance Programme (HAP) arm of the US Embassy, the three-member team held discussions with the two leaders on ways in which HAP could lend support to the Region and Linden.HAP team members included Director Eric Antinucci, assistant director Gabe Mejia and Project Coordinator, Mark Houston.Antinucci said that the objective of the visit was to discuss issues and problems in the region and to identify possible ways of collaboration. He added that the team is very excited about the prospect of working with the leaders and people of Region Ten.Mayor Holland welcomed the team. He highlighted several areas of assistance, including stimulating the economy to create jobs.He spoke of Linden in its glory days, when people came from all over to work there. Apart from around the country,NFL Jerseys Outlet, people even came from places such as Canada and the USA, to seek employment. He reflected that Linden fed the nation for many years.Holland also alluded to the subsequent decline of the bauxite company,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, and how that decline affected residents – many of whom were left without jobs.“We started to struggle and were at the mercy of whatever would come down from central Government.”He emphasised that Linden has a lot of skilled people,Cheap Authentic Jerseys, but they are jobless.DEPENDENCY MINDSETFor many years the mindset of the people was not what it should have been, Holland noted.“We have to move from that thinking – that dependency mindset, that we knew we had bauxite and the support of Central government. We have to move from that thinking and move to a position where we are generating our wealth and decrease the dependency on central Government.“Mind you, we are promoting partnerships with Central Government, the Regional Government and the council – we need the three to work in tandem, in order to develop this town.”Holland pointed to several initiatives which he said he would be “furnishing’ the Embassy with. He added that he would be extending invitations to the various embassies and diplomatic corps to visit during either the Town Week or the fiftieth anniversary celebrations,Cheap NFL Jerseys Chinese, to come and see the developmental plans of the town.The new Mayor also cited several initiatives that were started in Linden, such as Mashramani- stressing that Linden has talent.“We want to have affordable housing. We want to revive Wismar. We want to overall improve the quality of life for the people. We want to reform education.Holland spoke of the opening up of avenues for young people like himself and stressed, “We need to work from the bottom up.”He mentioned the hardships faced by Linden students who attend the University of Guyana, and posited seeking to get different faculties of the university established in the mining town,Cheap Soccer Jerseys Authentic, or to acquire a campus to alleviate the pressure of travelling back and forth.Holland also highlighted the municipality’s need for assistance in the area of sanitation, youth empowerment and early childhood development at the level of daycare.And Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira spoke of the need for opportunities to foster job creation and entrepreneurship. Figueira stressed the need for grants from the various embassies to support entrepreneurship and agriculture.He stressed the need for food security,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, as most of the food – over 80 percent – comes from outside of the Region.“We can encourage our youth to get involved in agriculture”, Figueira pointed out.As a Town with some of the best athletes, Figueira advocated for athletic scholarships and indoor sports facilities.He described Linden as a unique town where tourism could be developed, but that there is need for assistance.HAP director said that he found the exchanges very informative and would be taking back all the suggestions, so that they could be looked and determination made on the way forward. He however noted that one of the “quickest’ ways that they could help would be in the form of a medical outreach.The director noted that a lot of resources could be brought in, but that assistance would be sought in the area of housing those resources.“A lot of the things mentioned need a lot of resources, which would take time”, he added. |
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