GISAGARA: 15 COUPLES LEGALIZE THEIR MARRIAGE THROUGH MASS WEDDING

About 15 Cohabiting couples in Gakoma cell in Mamba sector were given a chance to marry legally through a mass wedding on Friday the 5^th.April.2013. Legal marriage is expected to reduce the rate of domestic violence and improve family relationships with cohabitation being the main cause of domestic conflicts.

As well as providing services to and near people or upholding the culture of good governance in Rwanda, sensitizing people to get married legally is one of the basics to prevent domestic violence in families.

The mass wedding in Gakoma cell was very much appreciated by people who had come to share the joy with their friends, family members, neighbours and loved ones who came in great numbers to witness the wedding and promised to take the same step in legalizing their marriages.

“This is so beautiful; I have never realized the importance of getting married legally when you already have a wife. But after hearing the explanations given, I too want to legally wed” says Mariko Maniraho who was in attendance of this wedding.

As Gilbert Nyirimanzi the executive secretary of Mamba sector said, after explaining this program of legalizing cohabiting couples’ marriages to village and cells leaders, they are expected to explain it to all cohabiting families in the remaining 4 cells.

To make this program available and easy to access to all people, sector leaders will be finding people in their cells to legalize the marriages of cohabiting couples. This program is expected to reduce the domestic conflicts especially based on property management of the couples.

The habit of embracing Concubines and polygamy culture which usually led to birth of the unplanned children will also be reduced. This will also pass the message to unmarried youth that for marriage to be harmonious, they should get married by law.

“When couples get married officially, they are no longer in conflicts as before. They sit down and discuss together the issues for their family development because they have trust in each other and no doubts that their marriage will end soon because it supported by law” explained Gilbert Nyirimanzi.