I am proud I performed all the twin rituals

SUNDAY VISION

CELEBRATING TWINS

Unlike other women who carry their pregnancies to term and deliver healthy bouncing babies, it was not the case for the 23-year-old Rashida Nabanya.

Nabanya delivered her babies at seven months. She had gone for her second antenatal care visit at Mulago hospital when labour pains started.

She was admitted and delivered normally. To her surprise, after delivering the first baby who weighed 2kg, the nurses told her the second baby was on her way out.

Shortly after, Nakato was born weighing one-and-a-half kilogrammes.

“I did not even suspect that I was carrying twins because I did not have any complications. I was healthy throughout my pregnancy and carried on with my domestic chores normally,” she narrates.

The babies were put in special care unit and monitored for a month because shortly after birth they developed pneumonia.

This affected Nakato’s health and up to now, Nakato does not sit or crawl while Babirye sits and crawls.

Nabanya says because she does not have a maid, nursing and caring for the babies is very hectic. She has to juggle baby sitting and doing her domestic chores.

Nevertheless, the children are a source of happiness to her. She says giving birth to twins was an answered prayer.

“I had wanted to give birth to twins and acquire the title Nalongo,” she confesses and adds that she would not mind getting another set.

Nabanya’s only regret is that she delivered the babies preterm who later developed pneumonia and spent a long time in hospital.

“If God gave me twins again, they should be full term because I do not want them hospitalised ,” she says.

Twin rituals important

Nabunya values twin ceremonies. Immediately the babies were born, she gave them twin names; Babirye and Nakato.

She plans to hold a twin ceremony once she gets enough money. But in the mean time she kept the umbilical cords of the babies when they dropped off.

In addition, each baby has a special basket containing herbs (olweza) kept aside. Nabunya says she does all this to fulfill twin rituals.

Being identical twins, Nabunya only differentiates them by their size.

Babirye is bigger than Nakato. Even as early as eight months the babies are already attached to each other; they play, hold hands and laugh together.


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