After months of being the subject of public attention on social media, Kwizera Emelyne, widely known as “Ishanga,” has been baptized by immersion, expressing gratitude to God for delivering her from a life of wrongdoing and declaring the beginning of a new spiritual journey.
Sharing her baptism photos on social media, Emelyne testified about her transformation and how God saved her. She was baptized on November 8, 2025, and reflected emotionally on her past and her newfound faith, saying, “I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. I thank you, Jesus, for your mercy and love. I thank you for the salvation you freely gave me. I didn’t deserve it—I was wicked, I was cursed, I was condemned, I was meant to die. I had shameful names, but you gave me a new one—‘Friend of Jesus.’ Hallelujah.”
Quoting lines often found in Christian songs, she continued to express her joy for this step in her life. “You took away the garment of shame and dressed me in white. I thank you, Jesus, for rescuing me from the enemy’s hands. I thank you for your precious blood that washed away my sins. I thank the cross, I thank the empty tomb, but above all, I thank my Lord Jesus!”
Citing 2 Corinthians 5:17, she added, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. The enemy and the things of this world will no longer frighten me.”
She also referenced Galatians 6:14, saying, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. As I died with Christ and rose with Him, I will continue striving to be like Him.”
Emelyne rose to public attention in 2024 after a viral photo with Rwandan artist The Ben, which sparked online discussions due to her striking appearance. In early 2025, she again drew attention after explicit videos of her and others surfaced online, leading to her arrest alongside her peers.
Investigations later revealed that those acts were influenced by drug abuse, which ultimately led to her being placed in a rehabilitation center. Her baptism marks what she calls a complete turnaround and a new beginning devoted to God.
