This year has been a tough one for Nepalis. Starting from the devastating earthquake of April 25 and May 12 followed by several aftershocks to the ongoing economic blockade, this year has been an unfortunate one.

Undeniably, there is shortage of fuel, diesel, LPG etc, which has adversely affected the lives of the people. We are getting used to seeing the huge number of vehicles in queue to get petrol or huge crowds queuing with hope to get LPG. But have we learnt anything from this time of hardship, something that will help our country’s advancement? Indeed we have.

We have learnt to be self-reliant. We have valued the importance of alternative resources. People have switched to traditional ways of cooking due to the scarcity of LPG. People are walking or cycling which is a good step to control pollution. Isn’t this a good change? Nepal, being the second richest country in water resources, has a good capacity of generating hydroelectricity. For years, we have confined our needs to what has been given to us by our neighbours. But maybe now it’s about time we realised our needs, and our potentials. The everlasting courage and hope of Nepali people will surely give us the strength to

overcome this problem. Our determination has kept us going strong so far, even in the face of adversity.

To sum up, I believe that our faith, unity and hope will help us move forward in this difficult situation. Let’s move hand in hand and hope for better days to come.

Shah is a grade 11 student at Prasadi Academy