DESPITE heavy showers during the afternoon hours, hundreds of Lindeners turned up at the Wisroc Play Field, dressed in their colourful array of African wear to celebrate Guyana’s 180th Emancipation from slavery. The event was the first of its kind and aimed at giving Lindeners a reason to stay in the town to celebrate, rather than to have to journey to Georgetown to do so.

A celebration indeed it was as families joined the day’s proceedings which included African drumming, dramatic poetry, dancing and singing and cook up competitions by the various Community Development Councils in Linden. The highlight of the proceedings, however, was a live performance by Jamaica’s reggae singer Duane Stephenson. Linden’s local artistes also entertained the crowd with their local hits after the formal session was over. Performances were done by the Epic Dance Group, Green Jaguars drummers, renowned poet Yvonne Drakes, Shondell James and other Lindeners.

The event was hosted by Right Start Foundation under the stewardship of Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira in collaboration with Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes and Minister of State Joseph Harmon. In attendance was Minister of Finance Winston Jordan as well as regional officials including Mayor of Linden, Waneka Arrindell.

In his feature address, Minister Harmon said that as Lindeners celebrate emancipation, they should do so realising that there is so much in store for the town. Going back, he said, so many changes came to Guyana through the abolition of slavery and our ancestors should be credited for those changes, since they allowed us to enjoy the freedom we are enjoying today. “So today, the freedom that we enjoy, the good things we enjoy are as a direct result of those people; it should not be taken lightly at all,” he told the crowd. “This could have only been done through cooperation that our ancestors demonstrated even through post-emancipation struggles.” Lindeners, he said, should continue to show cooperation as this administration is pushing to revitalize cooperative societies. “The Government of Brigadier David Granger has committed to rebuild that physical infrastructure which was damaged by the PPP… [the Government] has committed itself to rebuild the education system which was damaged by the PPP,” Harmon said. He said that Lindeners can look forward to major things happening in their communities through the cooperative societies. “We are doing things and Linden, you will see things happening. Linden has a number of cooperative societies particularly in the forestry sector…..so tonight as we celebrate, as we acknowledge freedom, as we acknowledge this festival, I want to say to you that better things are in store for you. I am urging you to grasp these opportunities, grasp the opportunities that are provided by the rejuvenated cooperative societies, grasp the opportunities that we are going to make by the physical infrastructure, in education, in health, in the tourism sector and the green economy.”

Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira reminded Linden of how our ancestors had to fight for freedom and how we should continue to fight against any form of slavery today. “But we will continue because we are a strong, resilient people and we will continue to fight so that what is due to us will be given to us some day,” he said. He also entertained the crowd with the performance of a piece of dramatic poetry.

The cook up competition saw participants from various communities across Linden such as Silvertown, One Mile and AndyVille who vied for trophies and cash prizes. African music, including folk songs, were also performed.