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I made up my mind when I heard her voice on phone
What you need to know:
David Tumwine and Anitta Asiimwe, defied distance to build a strong relationship. 11 years later the couple is happily raising their four children and supporting their community.
Anitta Asiimwe and David Tumwine met through a mutual friend and started a long distance relationship. The first time he heard her voice, David knew that was the voice he wanted to hear for the rest of his life. Annita had some reservations about David until she realised he had the qualities she always prayed for in a partner.
While in her second year at Makerere University, a mutual friend told Anitta that there was a special person he wanted her to meet. But because she was not interested, she did not bother to get the number but gave her friend permission to give out her number to David, who was the special person being referred to.
“I was not really interested in dating or marriage at that time, but he went on and gave David my phone number and the rest is history,” says Anitta. David was so interested that even if he was living in the UK, he went ahead and called Anitta in Uganda, thereby embarking on a long distance relationship that lasted a year. “
The first time I called Anitta, She was very calm and I immediately fell in love with her voice. She is straightforward, brilliant and really kind to people,” David recalls. The inner peace David felt whenever he spoke to her was enough to confirm to him that he had fallen in love with Anitta and he could hardly wait to meet her in person.
For Anitta, it took divine intervention to wake her up. “The spirit of God told me David was the man for me and I followed his leading. And with time I fell in love with his character,” Anitta says.
Being a long distance relationship the lovebirds spent hours on phone and Skype sometimes chatting late into the night.
“Anitta never complained at any time. I realised she made my life better yet we were not staying together. When we met for the first time we got along with no effort whatsoever. I made up my mind to marry her and decided to go for introduction within one month,” David recalls. The couple says this was the best decision they ever made.
Bonding over tragedy
Growing up without parents was difficult in the lives of both David and Anitta.
‘’I have had a sad life. I was born with a twin sister Angella, and one little brother Chris, who was only six months when my mom died in an accident in 1994. Not long after, my father died as well in 1999 when my twin and I were about 10 years old, leaving us under the care of our grandparents, the now late George and Joy Rukanya of Ishaka Bushenyi,” Anita says.
David who was one of more than 22 children, also lost his parents Eliphaz Rwenzigye and Fadereth Rwenzigye of Masha Isingiro at a young age and found himself under the care of his brothers Lt Amos Murangira and after he passed on, Martin Rwenzigye and Ken Muhwezi, who are both living in the UK took over the mantle.
“In fact knowing that Anitta was an orphan like me brought us even closer because she could totally understand, me which made the long distance relationship we had a lot more bearable for us both,” David says.
The long distance relationship was a challenge especially during the preparations of the wedding. Anita had to singlehandedly do most of the preparations since David was in the UK at the time. Thankfully, the stress was lessened by the love the couple had for each other, their supportive friends and families.
On October 23, 2010 Anitta introduced David in a very colourful function at her home in Kibingo, Mitooma District and on December 14, 2013 David and Anitta walked down the aisle at St Andrew’s Parish Bukoto Church in district and had their reception at J and M Airport road Hotel, Bwebajja, Kampala.
Challenges
Soon the couple were blessed with their first born, a son they name Dylan Tumwine. Although Dylan was not developing at the same rate as other children, the doctors assured the couple that he was only experience a normal speech delay.
It was not until they took their then five-year-old son to a doctor in the UK that the couple discovered their baby was autistic.
“It was a very hard time in our lives, but with our faithful God giving us the strength and peace, we have lived very swiftly through this storm of life,” says Anitta.
“We thank God for the awareness that is already here in UK, the schools and teachers are trained very well, Dylan is accepted and not stigmatised compared to the stories we hear from parents with a childlike Dylan in Uganda,” David says
Through this difficult period, David and Anitta have become parents to each other being intentional about caring, counselling, protecting and bearing each other through life. This, the couple says has been instrumental in strengthening their marriage for the last 11 years.
“I am so happy to be married to Anitta and if given a choice, I would still choose her over and over again,” David says.
Living in the UK has turned out to be such a huge blessing for the couple because Dylan is able to get the best health care and education.
Achievements
The couple is blessed with four children: Dylan, Darren, Denzel and Arianna. They also care for a number of disadvantaged children in Uganda. They have also managed to further their studies and are both working in UK. They attribute these achievements to Jesus Christ the author and perfector of their faith.
