Long Wait: Ugandan Man Gets His Firstborn Child at 83 Years: "God Answered My Prayers and Now I Am a Father"
- Mzee Yosia Mwesigye had waited for 57 years to have a child in his previous marriage, but his late wife could not bear him a child
- The elderly man who remained loyal to his late wife, however, has no regrets about her failure to bear him a child
- Mwesigye married the love of his life, Jane Tukamuhabwa, who is now deceased, on April 25, 1962, while he was only 23 years old
- When they visited hospitals, they were told they were fertile, but unfortunately, in 2005, Tukamuhabwa was diagnosed with cervical cancer, and she died in 2018
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An 83-year-old man from Uganda is elated after becoming the newest dad on the block after the passing of his 79-year-old wife, who did not have any child.
Source: UGC
Mzee Yosia Mwesigye had waited for 57 years in vain to have a child in his previous marriage, but he has no regrets about his late wife’s failure to bear him a child.
A report by Daily Monitor showed the elderly man married the love of his life, Jane Tukamuhabwa (now deceased), on April 25, 1962, while he was only 23 years old.
But the couple could not bear children.
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“When we visited hospitals, we were told we were fertile,” Mzee Mwesigye narrated.
He remained loyal to his wife following the assurance from doctors. But unfortunately, in 2005, Tukamuhabwa was diagnosed with cervical cancer, and she died in 2018.
“We did everything together but it was so unfortunate that she passed on without giving birth,” he said.
Living with workers and adopted children
Mwesigye said he lived with workers and some adopted children after the death of his wife, but they would sleep in the boys’ quarters, and he would sleep alone in the main house.
Life turned against him, and he thought of marrying a second wife. Instead, Mwesigye found love again when he was 79 years old.
A few days later, Mzee Mwesigye’s sister brought him a woman at home for a visit, who later became his new wife.
“I was excited to the extent that I even cried and asked one of my workers to slaughter a goat and that’s how I got my second wife Sharon Arinaitwe,” he says.
Welcoming newborn baby
After two years of marriage with Arinaitwe, now 29, she informed him that she was pregnant, and on March 23, health workers at North-Kigezi Health IV Rugarama delivered a bouncing baby boy.
“I am so happy that God has blessed me with a child at my old age. I never thought of getting one but I kept on praying and finally, God answered my prayers and now I am a father,” he said.
“Dying without a child is such a painful thing. In our African culture, one is only remembered when they leave a child on earth," added the elderly man.
He further noted that he used to wake up early in the morning, sit in his sitting room and ask himself how people would remember him after his death since he had no child.
Convinced by sister-in-law
Arinaitwe said her sister-in-law convinced her to marry Mwesigye.
“We reached his home amid rain. I saw an old man and thought that his son was the one to marry me. Later in the evening, the man told me that he wants to marry me," she said.
That is when I realised that my husband was an old man,” added the young lady.
She described her husband as a good man who loved his family, further promising to look after him until his death.
Feredansi Tumushabe, a sister of Mzee Mwesigye, said he wanted to marry again, and she accepted his suggestion.
The 57-year-old said she started looking for a wife, and three months later, she met Arinaitwe, whom she convinced to marry her brother.
Woman, 50, finally gets the baby girl she prayed for after finding and adopting abandoned infant
Briefly News previously reported that Bathabile Malapane's prayers for a baby girl were finally answered when she discovered an infant abandoned at a dump in Mamelodi Phomolong informal settlement in Tshwane. Although it was a rainy day, nothing could dampen 50-year olf Bathabile's day after discovering the crying little girl.
Bathabile, the mother of five boys - Tumisani (32), Lucas (28), Harry (22), Edgar (20), and Pogiso (14) - told Briefly News she wanted a daughter all her life. But she gave up on her dream after only having boys.
However, in the early hours of that rainy and cold morning, Bathabile heard a baby's cries and decided to investigate.
Source: Briefly News
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
Privie Kandi (Entertainment Editor) Privilege Kandi is an entertainment news editor (joined Briefly in 2022). A Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from the Christian College of Southern Africa (2016), she has been in the arts and entertainment industry for six years. Privie has worked for the Zimbabwe International Film and Festival Trust as a communications officer and a writer and TV producer for lifestyle and entertainment channel CME TV. She passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at privie.kandi@briefly.co.za.
