Residents of Mataba Cell, located on the foothills of Mount Rebero in Nyarugenge District, together with their neighbors from Nyarurenzi Cell in Mageragere Sector, gathered yesterday to celebrate a significant milestone—legalizing their unions.
A total of 102 couples, who had been living together in cohabitation, officially tied the knot in both traditional and civil ceremonies held at the Mataba playground on the sunny morning of August 28. Hundreds of community members turned up to witness the event, which was organized by local leaders in partnership with **FXB Rwanda**, a non-governmental organization dedicated to tackling the root causes of poverty and securing children’s rights.
The organizers emphasized the importance of legal marriage for family stability and child protection. “Children can only fully enjoy their rights when their parents are legally married,” noted FXB Rwanda representatives.
The Nyarugenge District Executive Administrator, Alexis Ingangare, explained the benefits and responsibilities of legal marriage. He stressed that family is both a cultural and legal institution, requiring partners to share responsibilities equally.
“Marriage is for widows, single people, or officially divorced individuals,” Ingangare said. “In the past, men were seen only as breadwinners, but today, the law makes it clear that both partners have equal roles in building their family.”
While acknowledging that divorce is permitted by law, Ingangare urged couples to live harmoniously and avoid behaviors that could undermine their marriages. “Divorce is not good. May God protect you from it,” he said, pointing to issues such as family abandonment, failure to provide, and infidelity as common causes of separation.
In preparation for this milestone, FXB Rwanda had spent three days training the couples on Rwanda’s family and persons law to ensure they understood their rights and obligations. This initiative is part of FXB’s broader partnership with Nyarugenge District, where the NGO supports over 1,000 households, including 200 in extreme poverty.
Since signing a contract with the district 11 months ago, FXB Rwanda has introduced community-based savings groups, provided educational support for over 600 children, paid health insurance for vulnerable families, and promoted modern farming practices.
For couples like Augustin Habiryayo and Bellancille Tuyisabe, who have lived together for 19 years and raised eight children without legal recognition, this day was life-changing. “My children were only registered under my wife’s name. Now, I officially share parental rights,” said Habiryayo.
Tuyisabe echoed his relief: “I always feared that he could one day leave me and the children. But now we are one family with no room for separation.”
The couple’s children had also faced challenges in accessing official documents because their parents were not legally married.
Emmanuel Kayitana
FXB Rwanda’s Executive Director, Emmanuel Kayitana, celebrated the milestone: “This achievement ensures children are recognized by both parents and guarantees family rights. It also secures stability for the future.”
Looking ahead, FXB Rwanda is confident that in the next three years, Mataba and Nyarurenzi will become thriving communities, ready to support a new wave of families out of poverty.
