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Until the 1830ies Uganda was a country inhabited by people belonging to a number of different tribes (ex: Luo, Ateker, Bantu) that had migrated there from central and western Africa and the Nilotic areas. They were mainly hunter-gatherers, cattle herders and farmers. During this pre-colonial time it was the indigenous Ganda religion that provided the foundation to most aspects of society, from individual and collective social behaviour and moral values to the tribe's actual structure and organisation. Traditional Ganda religion recognized ancestors, past kings, nature spirits, and a pantheon of gods who were approached through spirit mediums. Ganda villages were compact with a well-organized, efficient administrative hierarchy and a sophisticated political system centred around the kabaka (king). The kabaka was also the high priest and supreme judge of the land.
In 1830 the Arabs entered the country from the Indian Ocean, thus marking the beginning of Uganda's colonization. They were followed by the British in the 1860ies and the Christian Missionaries in the 1870ies. A religious and political hierarchy consisting of Protestants, Roman Catholics and Muslims existed throughout the colonial period and this led to the introduction of new social, religious and economic systems that began to undermine the Ugandan traditional values. Indigenous religious and cultural beliefs began to decline to near extinction.
Currently approximately 86% of the Ugandan population is Christian and the remaining 13% is Muslim. Only 1% of the population still follow indigenous beliefs and traditional religions. Of the Christian population the Roman Catholic Church (42%) has the most followers, after which comes the Anglican Church (35%) and lastly the Evangelical and Pentecostal churches.
The Born Again Christians are a branch of the Pentecostal Church. The term refers to a spiritual and metaphorical rebirth and saviour involving the acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah and receiving the Holy Spirit. In recent history "born again" is a term that has been associated with evangelical renewal, first in the United States and then later around the world. Being "born again" involves an intense conversion experience that results in saving ones soul, accepting Jesus within oneself and living as the Bible dictates. This is why the term is increasingly used to identify profoundly devout believers.
We were invited to run the project with a number of children living at the "I Am Children's Family" Ministries in Kampala. The Ministry was founded in 1998 by Rev. Ponsiano and Susan Rwakatale and is a family run charity working with orphaned children and deprived youth. The "born again" Ministry consists in sleeping, cooking and bathing facilities as well as an annexed church for community worship. "I Am Children's Family" is currently looking after over 200 children.
At the time of our visit many children were out of mainstream education as they were preparing a European and American Tour with their religious choir "Mwamba". There lives were thus mainly concentrated around choir practice, prayer and the various activities they were involved in within the Ministry. This is reflected in their photos. They mainly talk about their religious beliefs and the importance that the choir and preaching the message of the Lord have in their lives.