Underneath a jackfruit tree by the side of the road about 20 men and women
are seated on four wooden benches arranged in a square. Most have Bibles or New
Testaments in their hands and a woman is reading a passage from St. John’s
Gospel. A young man starts to share with others what today’s Bible reading means
to him. This is the weekly meeting of a Small Christian Community (SCC) or
kabondo in Luganda. It is one of nine such groups in Kamwokya, a poor urban area
in the city of Kampala, Uganda. The members pray together, share Bible readings,
and practice mutual support and service to others.

    As Christians they are helping to bring about a renewal of
their church as a community of believers who care about other people. As members
of a "caring community", they are undertaking the first organized efforts by
people in Kamwokya to cope with AIDS, a disease which has provoked a mixture of
confused emotions and responses — including fear, shame, denial, censure and
outright panic — not only in Uganda but throughout the world.

    It is increasingly recognized that community organizations
have a frontline role to play in the global struggle against AIDS. The members
of the SCCs of Kamwokya are motivated by their faith in God and guided in their
work by the Christian Gospel. Yet their approach to the challenge of AIDS has
much wider relevance not only to people belonging to other churches and
religious faiths, but also to organizations and groups with no religious
affiliation. The SCCs represent a community response to the tragedy and the
challenge of AIDS. As part of their commitment to serve others, SCC members
visit the poor and the sick — regardless of religion, ethnic background or
political allegiance — in their neighborhood to offer whatever support they
can.