Basics every girl needs in her bag

One of the most uncomfortable situations you can ever be put in is having a fellow lady ask for a tampon or sanitary pad on a flight just because you’re seated next to her.

While it’s always a good turn to help every lady in need at such a moment whether travelling by road, train or air and water if there are some, let this be a reminder that a girl has got to carry certain necessities with her at all times in her bag.

Now I know we girls love to change bags to match the day’s dress code to make a statement at work or on a trip further afield.

But what good is it if all that good looking dressed to kill look comes down to a desperate look of, “do you have a needle and thread in your bag, my zip just tore?”

By the time you get to the next bus stop, train station or airport, it might be a short distance to your destination but could turn out to be the longest journey of your life.

So here is a little piece of advice. Besides your make-up kit that never goes missing in every lady’s bag, let’s create space for an emergency kit.

In it, carry a tampon or pad, needle and thread, pain killers, handkerchief, tissue, nail cutter, Vaseline, perfume, toothbrush, tooth paste, chewable mint, plaster and anything else you think you might need during an emergency. Make it a permanent habit to always have one in your handbag to avoid embarrassing moments as they always come up unpredictable.

Last year, on a flight to Kigali, I met a young lady who happened to have missed her flight the previous evening.

But there was a problem — she’d slept at the airport because she had no place to spend the night, as she was low on cash.

While she was not very eloquent in English, I happened to be the one she approached for help because while at the security checkpoint, she said hello to me in Rwandese (thinking I was one), for which I happened to know a few words. But asking for a needle and thread was where the problem arose.

She spoke more French than English. It wasn’t until she literally drew a picture of what she needed on a piece of paper that I got to understand. (Pad) So what if I did not have it?

I promised I would learn more French to hold drawing illustrations to help someone but also told her to always carry a kit with her.

“For you just never know where your next stop will be.” And so should every responsible girl do. And that kit weighs less than a kilogramme. Don’t say you didn’t read this when it happens to you! ?

Twitter: @JoyDoreenBiira

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