My name is Muhwezi Gideon, the eldest in a family of three. I was born into a dysfunctional and poor family. My mother was always being beaten by my father and as children, we got a lot of mistreatment from our father. Living in these conditions became too hard for me to bear and consequently I decided to join the army as an escape route. Though I was under age the army took me in as a kadogo (child soldier). Much as I had joined the army to escape home, I found life in the army very difficult and hard as well.

It was not long after I had joined the army that I was deployed to fight in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was there that I got a leg injury that left me incapacitated and unable to continue fighting. I asked to be discharged and after a long wait and more traumatic fighting, I left the army in January 2007. I was given a discharge package worth 1,900,000 Ugandan Shillings (638 British Pounds). This marked the beginning of a reckless lifestyle for me.

As a young man that had been in the army I commanded a lot of respect and get whatever I wanted with money. Like the prodigal son mentioned in the Bible, I began to spend my money living a reckless life of alcoholism, womanising, drugs and ghetto lifestyles. I still wonder how I avoided catching HIV/AIDS!

Well it was not long before the money dried up and all the girls left me, my so called friends forsook me and I found myself alone and back to where I had started - suffering and poverty.

At this point I realised that I needed to change and get back to God who I had knowingly kept out of my life.

One day as I was visiting with my grandfather in a bar, I came into contact with a team from Jubilee Praise Church that visits bars, ghettos and brothels preaching the gospel. My life was changed then as this team shared the love of God with my grandfather. He gave his life to Christ and so did I.

Pastor Masadde Jude became my Pastor and in 2008 he asked me whether I would go back to school which I joyfully accepted. I joined the Africa Institute for Music for a diploma course and the Church has been sponsoring my studies. I will be graduating this year!

I am so grateful to the Lord for Jubilee Praise Church and their ministry of preaching in bars, brothels and ghettos because there are many who have been reached, though some of them have not yet changed but they have heard the gospel just like I did and now I am changed. I pray and hope that many of my friends too will come out of alcoholism, prostitution and drugs.

Glory Be To God