The beauty about public holidays is; despite the day being locally\/internationally recognised, the decision to celebrate remains an individual choice. In Uganda where I hail from for instance, 26th January is NRM Liberation day. Do \u2018we\u2019 (the youth) commemorate the day? No. Why? Mainly political reasons (that I wouldn\u2019t want to indulge in at the moment). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similarly, 14th February every year is globally acknowledged as Valentine\u2019s day. And although certain assumptions have announced the day as a universal way to show love to everyone who holds a special place in your heart, St. Valentine\u2019s \u2018romantic\u2019 letter to the girlfriend ahead of his execution cut deep, propelling the day a \u2018lovers\u2019 day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
History has it that during the reign of Emperor Claudius II of the Roman Empire, young men were outlawed from marrying so as to serve in the army. \u201cunmarried men made better soldiers than those with wives and families,\u201d believed the Emperor. A priest at heart, St. Valentine defied these orders, secretly performing marriage ceremonies. He was later uncovered and sent to jail where he fell in love with the jailer\u2019s daughter\u2013leaving her a letter signed, \u2018your valentine\u2019 before his execution.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nevertheless, not everyone gets to celebrate the day, especially if they are affiliated to the single status. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This year however, unlike the ones before, single people residing in Kigali had something to look out for\u2013the love pitch. Held at SUD Kigali on 15th, February, 2025, the event brought a fresh and exciting approach to matchmaking. The concept, simple yet daring, had attendees with single friends pitch them to a room full of potential partners, basically taking on the role of Cupid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Renowned media personality Fola Folayan was among the single people who were pitched. Her friend, adorned in a baby doll dress and a laptop in hand, took to the stage, making an entire powerpoint presentation of who Fola is. Information included her photos, occupation, likes and dislikes, and what she was looking for in a partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other interesting pitches were made by Lynn who praised her male Anglophone friend for being a \u2018big spender\u2019, urging all the single girls to shoot their shot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Vishaal too was pitched to the open-minded crowd who were relishing the lively ambiance as they savored on an array of delicacies and special cocktails. His pitch however received a fair amount of booing from female attendees who were overheard asking if he was looking for a caretaker instead of a partner.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVishaal wants a clever, good looking lady,\u201d announced his friend. \u201cShe has to be intelligent,a good cook and must know how to wash,\u201d she stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similarly, Chance Uwase\u2019s pitch had her male counterparts nod horizontally in disagreement. She was pitched by a friend who described her as an aspiring model, hustler, God fearing, and always smart young lady. Uwase was interested in a man over the age of 35, loves to travel, is passionate, and clean. But most importantly, not a Rwandan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Communication specialist Anna Njoki gave the event a more exciting twist when she pitched herself. \u201cAll my friends have failed me so I will pitch myself,\u201d she remarked, confidently stating the qualities she\u2019s looking for in a partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna said she had spotted her \u2018Mr.perfect\u2019 the moment she arrived hence pitching herself to give him a greenlight to approach. She however changed her mind about him when he started smoking, searching for other handsome men since the evening was still \u2018young\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond the stage, attendees mingled, exchanged numbers, and grooved to electrifying music which was a blend of Afro beats and contemporary music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Lidia Solomon, she organized the event because she is single and searching, besides being an entrepreneur involved in diverse businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Asked if there will be another edition soon, Lidia said: \u201cthe first edition has been met with overwhelming enthusiasm, proving that singles in Kigali are eager for new, interactive ways to meet potential partners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The beauty about public holidays is; despite the day being locally\/internationally recognised, the decision to celebrate remains an individual choice. In Uganda where I hail from for instance, 26th January is NRM Liberation day. Do \u2018we\u2019 (the youth) commemorate the day? No. Why? Mainly political reasons (that I wouldn\u2019t want to indulge in at the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":8724,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[86,87],"tags":[106,152,156],"ppma_author":[120],"class_list":{"0":"post-8727","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-lifestyle","8":"category-relationships","9":"tag-catch-feels-get-high","10":"tag-in-case-you-missed-it","11":"tag-story-of-the-day"},"yoast_head":"\n