“He was tracking mountain gorillas in Buhoma, in the northern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and after the safari, he visited a community where I was working as a secretary. During that first meeting, although he did not say much, I fell in love with this tall, modest, and polite man. He asked for my phone number and giving it to him was our ‘starting point,” Evaline Kemigisha, now wife to Innocent Ampeire, says.
Evaline says she was impressed by the way Innocent carried himself. He was honest and smartly dressed carrying a camera and binoculars. He greeted her and asked about the possibility of touring the tea plantation in the community. She was happy to be his guide.
“I am married to the most beautiful woman; the queen of my heart with whom we have two beautiful children,” Innocent says.
The two lovebirds hail from Kabale in western Uganda. Evaline was born and raised in Buhara village while Innocent comes from Bigaaga village. Work and chemistry ignited their love journey.
Ampeire works for Chimpanzee Trust as an assistant sanctuary manager in charge of animal welfare. He is also a wildlife photographer and a tourist guide with desire to teach people the ways of wildlife through the lens. His wife is a businesswoman and supports her husband by promoting tour guiding services and wildlife photography.
A gem
After interacting with her for some time, Innocent found many reasons to fall in love and commit to loving Evaline. “She is God-fearing, loving, beautiful, caring, compassionate, a problem solver, hardworking and respectful. “A combination of these won my heart,” he adds.
When his heart was convinced she was the one, he started planning a proposal. To effect this, he took days off work. He travelled by bus to Kabale Town and met her at a restaurant. Although the food was delicious, Innocent stayed focused on his mission.
“At the restaurant, overlooking some terraces, we kept talking about different things, including how we had played on those hills as children. Then, he got down on one knee and surprised me with a proposal to become his wife. I had, of course, dreamed of this day but it was now that it had become reality,” an elated Kemigisha recollects.
The marriage proposal turned out the way he had planned. “God was on our side. All the plans worked perfectly except time. Because I travelled by bus, which took longer to reach Kabale, I kept requesting her to wait, so she waited for nearly an hour before I finally arrived,” Innocent says.
Mr Right
She did not hesitate to accept his proposal because right from the start, she had loved the fact that Innocent was honest, hardworking, committed, and from their interactions, she had made up her mind that he would make a wonderful husband. The memories of his proposal are still fresh and beautiful.
“She was very specific and had answers to all my questions. When I asked her if she will manage waking up early every morning and spend hours on the farm, she said her parents had introduced her to all necessary skills including digging so that was not a problem at all. I knew that I had found a unique wife,” Innocent recounts.
How did he change her perception of love? Click to read more…
