Weddings are one of the biggest events that happen in Nyabiheke Refugee Camp. It’s a huge moment for the bride and groom, of course – but it’s also an important opportunity for the community to get together and celebrate.
A wedding in a refugee camp is not so different than a wedding anywhere. The happy couple wants what many pairs tying the knot do – a magical day with all their friends and family surrounding them as they commit themselves to one another.
“There’s nowhere to sit,” Victor, our Site Manager in Nyabiheke told us. “Elders, neighbors and members of the community come to celebrate the couple, but they all have to stand.”
It was easy to see how we could make a difference here. The first thing we did was buy 50 chairs the community could store at the Community Hall and put in action any time a wedding is held. We also got two larger armchairs complete with white slipcovers, a special spot for the happy couple to rest during the ceremony.
Victor also told us that most weddings were very simple, and families weren’t able to afford to put up any decorations in the very basic Hall.
Your wedding should be remarkable, a day you’ll always remember. So, to give the proceedings a little more magic and flare, we purchased long bolts of white, pink and blue fabrics that families could drape throughout the Hall – and make weddings feel like the extra special occasion that they are.
Victor was really excited to be able to do something special for all of Nyabiheke. “I think the community is really happy. This is something they’ve been hoping to have for a long time.”
