Essentials In Crisis..

Life is full of uncertainties, and so one must be prepared to face the worst while expecting the best.

Due to the uncertainties in life, I have learned to have a few things handy and prepared in case an emergency arises. This became one of my habits when I first experienced a bomb blast around my neighbourhood close to the nearest barracks some years ago while I was quite young. Many people were displaced, and after that incident, my dad made it a goal to always have us prepared in case of any disaster, either natural or man-made.

He taught us to always scan our documents and save them via email or Google Drive and other safety tips. I still remember how he taught us to learn the easiest and safest route in case there was a need to do so and how we had an escape plan as a family and where to meet up with each other.

The best thing my dad did was teach us to have a go-bag handy at all times. He bought each one of us a very portable bag and told us the important things that should be kept in the bag and how that bag should remain organized and handy at all times.

While surfing through my feed, I came across a very interesting prompt from the Hive Ghana community, which brought back memories of how my dad had prepared us for times like this. The prompt says:

In the case of a natural disaster, what three things would you grab first? Remember, you can pick three things. Not more, not less. Let’s see what you’d opt for. I hope it won’t be your freezer.

With the rate at which natural disasters keep increasing, I have made it a goal to have an emergency kit (my go-bag). In that bag, there are a few items I have set aside, like my documents (identity cards and important certificates), bottled water, canned food, hand gloves, a facemask, a sweatshirt, socks, drugs (painkillers and paracetamol), a flashlight, a balm, a power bank, charger, and a wrapper.

The next thing I sure would go for is my Automated Teller Machine Card (ATM Card) and a few cash. I chose this because it's going to be hard to survive without money, so I need the card to make payments either online or offline and to carry out other life-saving transactions.

My mobile device, of course, is very important as this is where I get updated as to what is happening around the world. I need my mobile device to communicate with other people, either friends or family and to find the safest route. More to that, my mobile device has a soft copy Bible, which offers me comfort in times like this where I can read and be comforted.

So in summary, if I were to grab three things in case of a natural disaster, I would go for a "my-go bag", an "ATM card," and my mobile device. These are the three most important things I think I need to survive until help comes.