Welcome to Betty’s introduction! What’s that, you might ask… it’s the Ugandan form of a wedding engagement, and it’s a very special event.
Betty – who actually gets married this Saturday – is one of our longest-serving staff members at CoH Uganda, working in our welfare team as deputy manager. Here she is being introduced to the love of her life, Sam.
Traditionally, introduction is when the groom’s family visits the bride’s family to introduce themselves. It’s also when a ‘price’ for the bride is agreed and paid – and then they carry away their bride to the groom’s village! These days the dowry price is usually agreed before the introduction (number of cows, goats, chicken, various other gifts) and, in this case as the couple are Christians, they then wait for the church wedding before setting up home together.
Sam’s family’s gifts included a fridge, boxes of soap, sacks of sugar, sacks of rice, money (in place of animals), 25kg of beef, hens, crates of sodas, matooke (massive bunch of savoury bananas) and clothes. Everyone had a great party and engagement rings were exchanged. Cake was cut and prayers and blessings offered. Of course, as Betty has worked with us for around nine years, many of our staff were there to join in the fun and make sure all arrangements were in place.
