Celebrating a Silver Jubilee: Betty and Boniface Mkwasa

When Betty got married to Charles Mkwasa, she was awarded a pair of new Khanga by her sister in-law. Words inscribed on the khanga read; “VUMILIA”, a Swahili word meaning “Be patient.” This was an auspicious start to a matrimonial journey that has lasted well over 2 decades. On January 18, 2014, Betty and her lifetime companion Charles celebrated their Silver Jubilee at Budget Entertainment Resort in Dar es Salaam.

Gaining access to have a cordial and learning dialogue with a woman who has endured it all in holy matrimony had me agitated at first, but I knew that she had a lot to impart and I was ready to devour each word.

With imbued courtesy, Betty invited me to her house for the interview after her Silver Jubilee had come to a beautiful end.

Getting to her house, located in Tegeta Kibaoni in Dar es Salaam wasn’t a daunting task, thanks to the charismatic character of the couple which has made them known around their dwelling vicinity.

About the couple

Betty reaped eminence in Tanzania as a result of her former career in media working as a journalist in broadcasting media. She is currently serving as Bahi’s district commissioner. Her husband, Charles Boniface Mkwasa, is a reputable football pundit having previously played for Young Africans Sports Club and Tanzania’s national football team. He currently serves as an assistant coach for Young Africans Sports Club.

 Where and how they met

Betty and Charles met in 1982 at a Chinese Restaurant which was located inside a National Housing Corporation (NHC) building at Posta. At that time Charles was working with Air Tanzania Corporation as an accounts clerk.

“We had continuous encounters at the restaurant which never transcended beyond the boundaries of greeting. One day I decided to approach her and requested to have a cordial interaction with her, without any undue expectations,” recalls Boniface. 

After the brief interaction, the usual meet and greet became recurrent for a while as the two were not aware that something more valuable was gradually evolving. It was when they met in Nairobi in 1982 that the affection and desire which had inadvertently been nurtured sprouted. This happened during Charles’s career as a soccer player for Young Africans at the East African Clubs Championships. As fate would have it, Betty was also in Nairobi for a short holiday courtesy of an invitation extended to her by her close friend.  After learning that Young Africans were to play in Nairobi, Betty decided to take the opportunity to go and watch the match at the stadium. After the final whistle, Young Africans had lost the match, but Charles was about to win something even bigger.

This defeat provided an opportune occasion for the two love-birds to have reason for meeting; Betty had decided to console Charles for the defeat. While in Nairobi, the two met a couple of times. This was the beginning of their long journey which has been highlighted this year by celebrating 25 years of marriage.

When they returned to Tanzania, Betty and Charles picked up where they left off while in Nairobi, “I came back to Dar es Salaam, after a few days he also returned. One day as I was leaving my job, I heard someone calling me by name. It was Charles, with his TDQ 976 Peugeot car, I was astounded. He offered to drive me back home. We just created an unbreakable bond thereafter,” Betty recalls. It was always Betty’s desire to have a man who is very calm, polite, smart, and black, a nonalcoholic, and a good listener and above all, he had to have dimples. According to her, Charles is the man of her dreams.

Charles on the other hand, did not have requisite criteria to be met by the woman of his dreams, except ideal decorum.  He states, “Betty was so beautiful and a woman with respect.” Clearly she possessed all there is to win Charles’s heart. However, it took time for Charles to reach the decision of asking Betty to the altar. He first scrutinized Betty’s demeanor to satisfy himself that the woman he was pursuing was indeed dignified.  Charles finally proposed to Betty after he had put a lot of thought into it, and persuasion from his close friend propelled the decision. He eventually proposed to Betty. Vows were exchanged in 1989 at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Dar es Salaam followed by a grand reception party at the Diamond Jubilee Hall.

 Journey to the Silver Jubilee

Life in marriage is not always easy; there are a lot of turbulent times that have to be overcome. Charles and Betty have managed to defy the odds by staying in Holy matrimony for 25 years and still looking so much in love. It was not easy for them to cruise through all those years.

The nature of their work, which involves travelling a lot to different destinations, has not deterred their commitment to their marriage and upholding their family unity. Speaking of their journey to the Silver Jubilee, the couple said it wasn’t easy as people often talked negative things about them. “If we were not strong we wouldn’t be here today,” notes Charles.

Betty holds dear everything that reminds her of her marriage, to this day she is still in possession of the Khanga her sister in-law gave her during her send-off party more than 20 years ago.  “I will pass it on to my daughter Sandra when she gets married,” says Betty.

If you are wondering how this commendable couple has been able to stay happily married for so many years, I took the liberty to ask Betty on the secret to their successful marriage. In response, Betty said that trusting and respecting each other is what has kept their marriage bond so strong, even amidst trying times.

On their Silver Jubilee celebration, Betty was dazzling in a black party dress with silver accessories while her husband was looking super dapper in a black suit paired with a blue shirt and tie. The couple renewed their wedding vows at a holly mass conducted at Tegeta Catholic Church on January 18th 2014.

In their 25 years of marriage, Betty and Charles have been blessed with two children, Raymond and Sandra who are now 28 and 24 years old respectively. The occasion was followed by an elegant dinner party at Bahari Beach, where the couple got a chance to display some of the outfits they wore on their very first date and on their wedding day, these outfits date back to the 80s.

On her very first date with Charles, Betty wore a beautiful black dress embellished with flowers. On her big day, her wedding gown was adorned with a salient veil, also on display was the Khanga she was given during her send-off party. Charles for his part displayed the piece of clothing he managed to salvage for over 20 years; a shirt and a black coat which he wore on his big day.

The flower boys and girls from their wedding 25 years ago were also in attendance, now fully grown men and women. Also in attendance were Betty’s maids of honour at the wedding.

“We were very happy because those who attended our wedding 25 years ago were there to celebrate with us on our anniversary,” says Betty. 

Their children, perceivably happy and proud of their parents wished them 25 more years of marriage, and promised to organize the couples’ 50th wedding anniversary. 

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