The world is moving so fast with trends and Uganda is fortunately or unfortunately not an exception, we are right there for the mingle.
15 years ago, things like baby showers were rare things, mostly left for those who had either grown up abroad or were born with a silver spoon.
Expensive weddings were abominable, things were simple actually where decoration would cost not more than Shs150,000. Today, we have decorations for a wedding that costs Shs50m, anha!
And then comes the extravagant bridal showers and the likes, splashy birthday parties thanksgiving, and the car showers ( oh you have not heard of these? )
Now most recently, the country has been gripped by a new trend- Divorce/separation parties.
Last week, Immaculate Nantongo a founder of a Real Estate group, took to social media to share images of her get-together with her ex-husband to celebrate their divorce.
Nantongo was not the first, an unidentified woman just a few weeks back had posted a picture cutting cake with the wording: “I do, I did, I am done”. Her story was cut short, she had quit her marriage and was excited to do so hence the cake was in order.
Nantongo in her post on social media later shared pictures of them sitting over lunch, with a cake written on “Happily Divorced”.
She captioned the pictures with a “yeeey finally my divorce”, you could tell the happy mood at once.
While the level of breakups and separations is extremely high, so is the rate of marriages.
However, what happens in marriages used to be a secret until the coming of social media which has given people the freedom to express themselves.
Today, people feel very comfortable and civil to end relationships and are free to talk about what failed. Gone are the days when our parents would stick to a relationship that died ages ago for reasons best known to them.
Today, even those with four children would decide to walk out on a relationship and they will have enough reason for it.
According to Nantongo, she had separated six years ago from her husband, but the divorce was not coming through.
“So finally, my divorce is final yeeeeeeey after 6yrs of separation. Today I choose to celebrate the end of something that resulted in two handsome boys. I celebrate the friendship, the co-parenting, and the maturity,” Nantongo said.
“Seven years ago, I didn’t know we would be at this place sitting together and sharing a meal, how time heals everything… Deciding to let go of the hurt, betrayal, and choosing to forgive wasn’t a simple thing but I did and we are in the best place we could ever be,” she added.
In a long message, Nantongo said her action was not to glamorize divorce but to tell people out there that divorce is not the “end of life”.
“You can still be civil with your ex. Life can still be beautiful but also to let you know that God is not mad at you. Yes, he hates divorce but he loves you so much,” she said
“No parent would want their child to endure or be killed in a relationship just for the sake of it. If we earthly parents want the best for our kids how about God our father?” she posed.
She called upon people to retain civility amongst themselves and choose to co-parent better.
“God hates divorce for what it does to people, it breaks up families but in the midst of your divorce, you can choose to make the most out of your situation. Co-parent better. It’s all about giving your kids the best opportunities in life. Making the best decisions for them.”
“So, for one last time, we came together to celebrate the life we had and the individual lives we live. Happy divorce day to us and to the next chapter of my life.”
