Mombasa man marries an orphan, pays dowry to orphanage

Joy Nyambura Zion (left) accepts her wedding ring from her newly wedded husband Noel Peru (right) during their wedding at Calvary Zion Childrens Home last weekend. Joy who is an orphan from Calvary Zion Childrens Home in Mombasa, was married to Noel Peru from Kilifi County. [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD].

MOMBASA: At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet. This popular nugget by Plato, one of the greatest philosophers of all time, sprung to mind last Saturday, as I witnessed Noel Peru tying the knot with the apple of his eye in Mombasa.

The young man, a student at Technical University of Mombasa, waxed lyrical about his boundless love for Joy Nyambura Zion—whom he said would bring nothing but joy to his life.

Nyambura, a nursery school teacher, is an orphan and grew up in an orphanage together with her two siblings after her mother died in 2001.

Since then she has known no other home beside the orphanage, Calvary Zion Childrens Home. The home’s director Jane Karigo has acted as her mother since she stepped into the orphanage. Besides her siblings, she has always considered the children and everyone else at the orphanage as part of her family.

On Saturday, the residents of Calvary Zion Children’s were very happy family as they witnessed Peru and Nyambura say “I do” right within the home’s compound.

Ms Karigo handed over Nyambura, who is already expectant, to the bridegroom at exactly 1.15pm to wild jubilation.

Besides being poetic, Peru was also philosophical: “Love knows no boundary. But the main reason why I chose to marry a girl from an orphanage is because I believe they value life much more than girls who are already blessed with everything in life. They are more loving and caring because they really do value people who are close to them,’’ he said.

He also explained how he met his love. ‘’We started courtship two years ago. I was living in Bamburi and would take leisure walks each afternoon. I bumped into her during one of the walks and fall in love instantly. I have never looked back,’’ said the ICT student.

To win her hand in marriage, as is the tradition in most African cultures, the young had to first pay dowry. But to whom?

With no parents to turn to, it was Karigo, the home’s director at Calvary Zion Childrens Home, who stepped in to fill the gap.

The director of Calvary Zion Childrens Home Jane Wanjiku Karigo displays one of the cows which was given as part of Joy Nyambura Zion's dowry. Joy from Calvary Zion Children’s Home in Mombasa was married by Noel Peru from Kilifi County.

She received the dowry that included a cow, goats and money, which went directly to the home.

Interestingly, this was not the first such wedding at the orphanage. The wedding, according to Karigo, was the third at the home.

After exchanging their marriage vows,  in a ceremony that was presided over by Reverend Steve Mbugua of Jet Covenant Church, the couple, happy Calvary home family and friends made the one-hour road trip to Kilifi to Peru’s home for the grand reception.

There, popular Kilifi County band Kikwetu, was on hand to provide entertainment to the newly-weds and their guests as they enjoyed a delicious serving of pilau, biryani and nyama choma.