As the saying goes; ”When the going gets tough, the tough get going” , a Ugandan student, who is pursuing a Masters Degree at Oxford University in the UK, recently took the definition of marriage to a whole new level after marrying herself.
32 years old Lulu Jemimah decided to marry herself after being pressurized by her family to settle down with a man. She married herself out of frustration and to make her parents stop harassing her to get married.
Jemimah says her family was lecturing her on the importance of settling down with the right man, yet marriage was the last thing on her mind;
She said her wedding cost her just £2 for her taxi to the venue, and she got other things free of charge from friends.
‘I have a strong passion in life and I am committed to achieving my goals at becoming an academic.
‘But all my family wanted to ask me was when I planned to get married – which is very important back in Uganda – followed by when I would be having children and starting a family.
‘My father wrote my wedding speech when I turned 16. Every birthday my mother prayed for me and in recent years this has included a plea for a good husband.
‘But I just didn’t want to think about walking down the aisle. It’s not the thing which keeps me up at night.’
‘I then spent a few minutes talking to friends and awkwardly explaining that there was no groom – most of them knew by this point,’ she said.
‘I was extremely happy,’ she said. ‘So many friends showed up, as well as international and local journalists, film directors and feminist entrepreneurs.
‘Marriage is an expression of love and commitment, however for many people back home, it is still considered the only way to guarantee a woman’s financial security.’
Though proud of her move, Lulu admits her parents are baffled by her decision.
‘My father still maintains that he doesn’t know what to say.’
