How I met my partner: Honore and Viviane 'had nothing when we wed, except for our daughter Sonia’

HONORE Kamegni and Viviane met in Waterford more than 20 years ago and have worked hard to build a life for themselves and their two daughters in Cork ever since.

The Green Party local election candidate for Cork City South East explained that his wife moved to Cork for a job shortly after their wedding, and they have thrown themselves into the community since.

Community

Viviane told The Echo that they met when they were both living in Waterford in 2002 — through a family friend — adding that they built a community there of people they consider family, saying: “We spent time together and we became very close.”

“We did not have much money at the time, we were doing what we could. I was working at a restaurant, we were just modest people,” she said.

The pair had a daughter together, Sonia, and Honore decided to propose, going to a woman that the couple consider “like a godmother” for advice — with Viviane adding that “she has always been there for us”.

“The proposal happened one evening when we were at our godmother’s house. She and I had made the plan, but Viviane did not know anything,” he explained, adding that he had just told her they were going around for a chat and a cup of coffee.

“I asked her the question, if she wanted to be my wife. I could not forget this moment, she looked me in the eyes and said ‘yes’ loudly to me, then I put the ring on her finger,” he said.

“We had nothing at the time, except for our daughter Sonia,” but despite that they went straight into organising their wedding, he said, explaining that “everything just went very, very quickly from that evening”.

Viviane explained that they had a small wedding, saying: “When he proposed, we didn’t have too much, we didn’t have money for a honeymoon and the community helped us a lot with the ceremony.”

Married

The couple then got married in December 2005 in Waterford.

Viviane got a job in Cork Airport shortly after and moved in April, while Honore stayed in Waterford until July before following to Cork — where their second daughter, Paris, was born in 2007.

After working in Cork Airport, Viviane went back to UCC to do a masters degree. She then started working for Apple in 2014, while Honore studied HR management in MTU.

Anniversary

The pair will be celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary next year, and Honore says: “We are living a very happy life, we are doing our best to integrate ourselves and working hard to make sure our daughters get the best of everything.”

Their eldest daughter is studying to be a doctor at the moment at an American university in Barbados, while their second daughter is in Midleton College.

Their eldest considered studying in Germany, but she didn’t want to have to learn all the medical terminology in a different language as she wants to practice medicine in Ireland after graduating.

However, her moving so far away worried Honore and Viviane at first.

“We were worried at the start, but she is happy where she is now and getting on well.

“We are very proud considering all the worries about if she was going to like it.

“She’s a very hard-working student, and she has been preparing since she was in primary school to do medicine,” Viviane said.

The course comprises three years of theory in Barbados, then a placement in the US for two years, and she comes home only once a year for Christmas, but Honore and Viviane have been able to go visit her and do some travelling in the US.

Politics

Back home, the couple are very busy, with Honore working for An Post since 2008 and being involved in the community, including Special Olympics Ireland since 2005, along with being an active member in both Mahon and Blackrock Tidy Towns.

Last year, he decided to get involved in politics because of his concern of the effect of climate change on his children’s futures, and he is running in the upcoming local elections.

“I joined the Green Party because I wanted a safe planet for my children, and I was very lucky to be offered to stand in an area that I am used to. I know the people in my constituency, I know the area and the issues, and they are very happy to see me when I come to the doors.

“I want to continue to serve them but on a different field,” he said.