2015 is a hard year to remember not just for the lives we lost, the dust and the debris but also the scars we carry three years after the earthquake. Life changed in many ways for many. The recovery process has not been easy… either to the physical damage or to the deeply ingrained fear in the psyche of a nation. Impermanence is inevitable, but we met with ours in staggering proportion.
Time will dull the scars, time may also repeatedly jolt us out of healing as we live in an active seismic zone, but time is also testing our resilience as a nation on the path of rebuilding. Now is the time to rebuild and build better.
With a long standing political stalemate coming to an end and new federal structures going into place, now is the time for those especially in leadership roles to ensure that the foundations we are laying at all levels are strong and futuristic.
The degree of influence infrastructure has on national development and competitiveness is high. It is time to channelize investments into key economic areas that will support economic growth and a better future for coming generations. And it must be sustainable.
The trembler of 2015 did not just shake the ground beneath our feet, it also drew realization of how vulnerable we really are. It created a major shift in how politics and development are viewed as we continually failed to address key areas of public concern from rebuilding of homes, schools and hospitals, creating safe spaces, financial and bureaucratic inadequacies, maintenance of the airport to the stark remnants of our history still lying in disarray.
Life is short. Is it too much to ask that we start making small differences now? Key policy issues and planning priorities must keep the citizen at its centre. In the capital, we are still waiting for water to flow in our taps, industries are waiting for uninterrupted electricity, the youth are seeking jobs, investors want better investment climate, people want a proper judicial system… we are waiting for a leadership that works for health, wealth and prosperity for all.
