A 15-year-old builds her village a bridge after her appeal goes unanswered

When a bridge over the Domai stream collapsed in June, residents of Luma village in Bhume Rural Municipality-9, Rukum East, were left struggling to cross the waterway. Despite repeated appeals for help, the broken bridge remained unattended. Frustrated by the lack of action, 15-year-old Sadiksha Oli took to Facebook on August 17 to appeal directly to Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the former prime minister elected to the House of Representatives from Rukum East. Addressing Dahal as “Prachanda Baje” (Grandfather Prachanda), she posted a video highlighting the dangers posed by the damaged bridge, which had become a daily obstacle for villagers, including schoolchildren.

“Hello, Prachanda Baje, where are you? You won the election from Rukum East and left. Just look at the condition of our bridge. It is broken, and we have to cross the stream.

It could sweep away our cattle and even us. Children also use this route to get to school, and they could be swept away too. So please build us a bridge,” she said in the video.