Poor Muslim youths in Malindi who cannot finance their weddings have a reason to smile after an international
NGO offered to sponsor their occasions.
The sponsorship by the NGO from
the United Arab Emirates
entails facilitating dowry, giving capital to the couple and
organizing a mass wedding for the beneficiaries.
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On Saturday 20 youths benefited from the programme.
They took part in a
colourful
mass wedding held at the Tahdeeb Muslim academy in Malindi town.
UAE AID is working in conjunction with
Sharjah Charity international, Kenya Humanitarian and Charity organization Malindi Kilifi county.
Ahmed Aboud, the Chairman of Malindi Tawfiq Muslim Youth, who identified the couples said they took time to select 20 out of 36 youths who had applied but had no funds to meet the costs.
Speaking during the event, he said many youths were bachelors because they had no money for a wedding.
In the programme, he said the couples were given beds, household utensils and capital to start a business in their areas of interest.
For the brides, each one was given a tailoring machine while the bridegrooms were given motorbikes, plumbing or carpentry facilities depending on their careers.
“Many youths were willing to marry, some had stayed for over three years without meeting the costs of the wedding because of money matters,’’ he said.
'The donors facilitated the wedding expenses including meals for over 900 people,' he said.
Aboud asked the newlyweds to concentrate on their families instead of joining bad companies that could easily lead them to drugs or be radicalized.
Before the wedding ceremony, he said the couples underwent counselling done by Islamic religious leaders on the importance of maintaining their marriages and family rights.
Those who benefited were not above 30 years or below 19.
Suleiman Thoya and his bride Margaret Tatu Solomon could not hide their joy after tying the note in the mass wedding that was fully paid.
“I am happy today to marry the love of my life, My plans were to marry her in a wedding but due to financial challenges it was difficult,’’ he said.
He said his aim was to marry in 2030 because he could not afford the costs of the wedding.
“Many youths like to marry but due to financial challenges they end up remaining bachelors,’’ he said.
Lali Abdalla Lali another beneficiary with his wife Nasra Mohamed said they intended to wed in 2018 because of the financial constraints and thanked the donor for supporting them.
The local organizers said they intend to mobilize resources from within so as to conduct more mass weddings beginning next year.