It was supposed to be a grand re-opening for the Iwacu Wellness Centre in Kagugu on Saturday, but a heavy downpour laid all the organizer’s plans to waste.

Iwacu is a ‘relax and revive’ centre that offers healing treatments like massage, meditation, reflexology and aromatherapy to revitalize the body and mind.

Saturday’s event was supposed to officially unveil the centre’s recently opened art section but the weather had other ideas.

The event kicked off at 2:00 pm and was supposed to feature a host of fun outdoor activities like an art exhibition, a live barbecue, cocktails, an acrobatic show and campfire.

However, barely minutes after the opening, as the day’s first guests started to trickle in, the skies opened up abruptly.

Staff were forced to hurriedly take down the art pieces hanging from trees and walls, while the barbecue and cocktail bar relocated indoors.

The few guests around huddled together in the tiny spa reception, wondering what would happen next. Matters were not helped by the fact that there was a Rwf5,000 cover charge to attend the event.

At about 4:00 pm when the rain subsided, a handful more guests checked in, all soaked in rain. Management insisted on the Rwf5,000 entry fee, even amidst murmurs of protest from some guests who were unhappy about the charge.

Later, a Facebook post from management admittedly confirmed that the event had been a total flop.

"Because of the rain, we could not do all the planned activities today. So come tomorrow Sunday 12th November, same place, same time (from 2 pm to 8 pm,”.

By press time on Sunday, the rain was once again threatening to dampen the rescheduled event.

Iwacu Wellness Centre has been around for a while but it was not opened officially, and so today is the day to officially open,” the manager, David Gasirabo revealed.

Art can heal, and here we believe in healing people. So we added the art element where people can come and take classes and even paint for fun, just to relax their minds. We want to make this a relaxation space,” he adds.

However, the flopped re-opening of Iwacu Wellness Centre once again proved that any planned outdoor event during the month of November and December is a big gamble given the unpredictability of the rain during the rainy season.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw