If you had to select a near-coastal community that has persistently demonstrated resilience and ingenuity in the face of adversity, Linden would almost certainly be close to the top of your list. More than two decades after the decline of the global bauxite industry and the gradual withering away of an economic base which observers say had “spoilt” Linden to the core, the community continues to demonstrate a determination to survive and, somehow, to go forward, as if the legacy of years past remains a beacon that continues to guide the community’s steps in what, unquestionably, are difficult times.
The sheer weight of the challenges – including high unemployment and crime – such as those that Linden has had to endure could easily make a community lose its way. That has not been the case with Linden. Inexplicably, some may say, Linden continues to produce some of the finest minds in the country. Those who know differently simply point out that old habits die hard. Such community projects as are eked out from the sheer determination of the leaders in the community and the tireless efforts to secure material and other forms of support are focused on skills training geared towards finding employment for Linden’s growing army of creative and ambitious but, as it happens, unemployed young people.
The Linden Youth Network Training Institute, an initiative which seeks to offer in the areas of Information Technology, Numeracy and Literacy, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Communication Skills, Micro Enterprise and the disciplines associated with STEM Technology and Robotics is focused not only on equipping young Lindeners to secure employment but also to become imbued with valuable life skills that can expand their contributions to family and community.
