From Shame to Strength: How One Kit Changed My Life

I used to hide. I hid pads under my sleeves as I left the clinic. I hid the stains on my clothes when I couldn’t afford a single tampon. Most of all, I hid the shame that came from being a teenage girl without access to basic hygiene products.

For a long time, I didn’t even realize what I was feeling wasn’t shame. It was need. It was poverty. It was something bigger than me, something I had no control over. But in a world that teaches girls to be quiet about their periods, I internalized it. I thought I was the problem.

Then one day, I was given a Red Umbrella Project hygiene kit. It wasn’t fancy—a small zip bag with pads, tampons, body wipes, deodorant, toothpaste, and a note that read: “You deserve to feel clean, safe, and strong.”

I don’t think the volunteer who handed me that kit knew what they were giving me. It wasn’t just soap and pads. It was dignity. It was a signal that I was seen, that someone out there cared enough to pack this with thought and love. That note—just one sentence—was the first time I felt like someone was talking to me, not about me.

I took that kit back to the shelter bathroom and used the products like a ritual. I brushed my teeth with a brand-new toothbrush. I cleaned my face. I changed into a fresh pair of underwear. When I looked at myself in the mirror afterward, I didn’t see the same girl.

That day became a turning point.

I began to walk with my head a little higher. I started to talk to the staff at the center more. I signed up for a peer mentorship group. Eventually, I began helping hand out hygiene kits myself. I told my story to other girls who looked just like me—scared, embarrassed, and quiet.

And every time I handed out a kit, I added my own note:

"This does not define you. You are more than your circumstances. You are powerful."

People think small things don’t make a big difference. But I’m here to tell you—sometimes, all it takes is one small act of care to ignite something big. One kit. One moment. One message that says: you matter.

Today, I don’t feel shame anymore. I feel strength. And I carry that strength with me—not just in my body, but in my voice, in my story, and in the kits I now help prepare for girls just like I used to be.

Because one small bag changed my life.

And maybe the next one will change someone else’s.