Sam Wambaka, a teacher and director of Prime Junior Primary School and Evelyn Nabukwasi, a teacher and town clerk of Manafwa District local government, met in 2002 while at university. He says although he was a third-year student and Evelyn was in her first year, they would often meet during Christian Union fellowships. It was during one of these meetings that Evelyn caught Sam’s eye.
“I sent a mutual friend to talk to her on my behalf, asking her to emphasise that I did not want to be just boyfriend and girlfriend, but husband and wife. When our friend delivered the message, Evelyn and I developed a friendship that lasted until my third year at university when we started dating,” he says.
When he finally finished his studies, Sam would always call Evelyn to check on her, making sure never to lose touch. The two would also meet during the many parties organised by the Union.
“One time while attending a party at our church, the DJ started playing good music which forced both of us to get up and dance. I think this was the first time we danced together, a beautiful moment that made me realise Evelyn was warming up to me,” Sam says.
He adds that in 2006, he got a scholarship to study for a master’s degree in Belgium. However, because he did not want to leave the love of his life, he asked that the course be transferred to Makerere University instead, and his request was granted.
“My room at the university was always open to her and when I finished the course in 2008, we started living together. Within one year, we had our firstborn,” he says.
He also notes that in 2010, they discussed whether to organise an introduction ceremony or buy a plot of land where they would build a family home. They decided on the latter.
Wedding/introduction
On November 12, 2012, the couple held their introduction ceremony (kwanjula) where Evelyn finally introduced Sam to her family and friends. She says they started with a pre-visit in 2010 after buying their property and it took them two years to finally hold their introduction ceremony.
“Although I promised her family that we would hold our church wedding within one year, along the way, other responsibilities took over. However, it was always our dream to hold a church wedding and we knew that one day, we would fulfill this wish,” he says.
He, however, says that last year in July, the bishop of Mbale Diocese Rev John Wilson Nandaah visited their church on pastoral work and during his sermon, he asked Sam when he would hold a church wedding.
“My wife and I started planning, making sure we knew exactly what kind of wedding we wanted which enabled us to put aside some resources before involving our family and friends. We created a social media platform for family and friends and formed a committee of 10 members to help us plan the wedding,” Sam says.
Memorable moments
Sam says his most memorable moment was when he arrived at the church and saw the number of cars parked in the compound.
“I could not believe it. When I entered the church and saw it parked to the brim, I shed a few happy tears because I saw how much people loved us. It also showed the goodness of God who had made all this possible. We were finally fulfilling our dream,” he adds.
Evelyn says her most memorable moment was when she arrived at the church and found a group of Mother’s Union members lining up to meet her. Another was when Sam was asked to remove her veil.
Counselling
The couple emphasises the importance of pre-marital counselling where they were taught transparency in the family. Sam says he also learnt to take on his responsibilities as the man of the house.
“I was taught to take care of my wife and children and to be faithful to her always. The counsellors also emphasised the importance of building a strong foundation for our marriage, based on trust, love, but most importantly, prayer and putting God first in everything we do,” he says.
Evelyn says the aspect of being patient was key, adding that there are times things may not go as expected but you have to be patient and hang in there and with time, you will learn to live with each other peacefully. We were also taught the importance of comunication when things are not going well,” she says, adding that being prayerful is also important because in marriage, everything that fails you as human beings has to be put before God, the author of marriage.
Advice
“Marriage is beautiful, even with its challenges. It is also a sign of commitment. When you walk down the aisle after marrying your best friend, even society starts viewing you differently. They attach a different kind of respect to you as a couple and it is this respect that you must keep as a couple by being responsible for each other’s actions,” Sam says
“Before you get into any relationship, know what kind of person you are committing yourself to. There is also no need to rush anything. For example, we did not rush into organising a wedding, but instead, first thought of buying land and establishing a family home. You also have to invest in your relationship and practice a lot of patience, being prayerful and faithful,” Evelyn adds.
