‘She was worth waiting for’

Boris Mpeeka and Emily Kembabazi met in 2013 as members of the Mulago Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Students Association. At the time, Boris was in his final year at university while Emily was in her first year. Even when he developed romantic feelings for her, it was not hard for him to get her number since they both worked in the Sabbath school department of the association.

“Because she was my assistant, we worked closely together and spent a lot of time together. I got interested in her commitment to serve God and the cordial way she treated other members of the association. These character traits made me fall head over heels in love with her but I did not tell her immediately because she was till new.

However, after being friends for a semester, Boris expressed his feelings to Emily and mentioned his plan to marry her. Maybe because she was caught off guard, she went mute for more than five months. Boris did not get any response from her even though they continued working together.

“I did not give him an answer immediately because I did not know if he was serious. I needed time to get to know him better and understand what his intentions were. With time, I came to understand that he was a good person and very ambitious. I was impressed by his long term goals where he talked about sustainable ways of making income and saving,” she says

Towards the end of his course in 2014, the Dental Health Students Association organised an outreach and Emily brought a friend for a dental appointment. Although Emily was in a rush to return to office, her friend was in good hands since Boris was coordinating the outreach. When they later got time to talk, Emily finally agreed to Boris’s request. 

The two started dating with the intention to get married after Emily’s graduation. And although this did not happen soon because she was still in her first year, Boris was willing to wait.

“She was worth waiting for. She is very beautiful, intelligent, hardworking and kind. I was patient because I wanted her to complete her education first,” he says.

Taking the step

In 2017, Emily graduated but Boris had enrolled for a second degree. However, this could not stop their plans to wed in 2018. With support from their family and friends, the two planned a wedding, which occurred on august 24, 2018.

The wedding came as a surprise because they both lacked the funds since most of what they earned went towards paying school dues. They, therefore, choose to do what was within their means.

“Many times, I would get calls from his sisters about the choice of colours for the clothes I would wear for the day. I had spent most of the money I had on the introduction ceremony but my in-laws were there for me,” Emily recalls.

Emily, who worked in Entebbe at the time did not get time to inspect the reception venue until the wedding day but she was overwhelmed at what she saw. In fact, her best moment was the entrance to the reception. The hall management had to look for extra seats for the guests because the numbers had exceeded what they had planned for.

“I did not expect such a big reception that was organised at Mengo Teachers Hall. It was well decorated and I do not know how they could afford such beautiful decor. Initially, due to lack of funds, we had planned to hold our reception at Mulago Paramedical Playground,” she says.

What is marriage?

Boris and Emily have been married for five years. Emily says marriage is a gift from God that every woman should experience in their lifetime.

“It is my prayer that every woman gets to know what it feels like to be married. I was once single, making my own money, renting my own house and could not do any chores because I had people to help me out. However, I can now say without fear of contradiction that married life is better. You have a sense of direction in life and a reason to live,” she says.

Boris defines marriage as a learning process that is characterised by patience and understanding of your partner.

Finances

When it comes to finances, the couple helps and supports each other. When Emily graduated, she started working and supported her husband who was in school by the time they wedded. When he graduated, she enrolled for another course and she has been studying for two years now.

“We try to help each other whenever there is need. I think it is important that a wife works because when we got married, although I was still a student, she would pay all the bills at home which took the pressure off my back, enabling me to concentrate on my studies,” Boris says.

They do not have a joint bank account but they have a plan and when there is something they want to acquire and needs money, they jointly contribute towards it.

“His family is bigger but they are all welcoming and loving in such a way that when they do not visit for a while, I really feel the gap. Our doors are always open to relatives. Sometimes when they visit, I do not want them to go,” Emily says.

Parenting

Boris and Emily are blessed with two boys and when asked about their parenting style, Emily says, “Parenting is a bit tricky because there are days when my husband defends the children saying I am so hard on them. However, when he is away, I am a strict disciplinarian. Disciplining children is the responsibility of all mothers, especially given the society we           live in today.”