Right now, children’s lives are in danger. Girls who’ve reported cases of abuse or escaped trafficking are living in fear for their lives.

Girls like 5-year-old Tisha* who was being abused in her home by a family member.

Upon learning about her situation, our social worker went to visit Tisha and her mother. Tisha disclosed the abuse to our social worker Rachel. Rachel accompanied Tisha and her mother to the local police station where they filed a report. Tisha was then accompanied to a doctor who confirmed the abuse. The perpetrator was immediately arrested.

Tisha and her mother began receiving counseling and psychosocial support, but Tisha was so afraid that her abuser would return that the local child protective services officer (known in Uganda as a probation officer) recommended she be temporarily placed in a safe house run by one of our licensed partner organizations.

For the first time in months, Tisha felt safe.

But it turns out her life was still in danger. 

The perpetrator escaped from police custody and hatched a plan to remove Tisha from the home to “get rid of the evidence.”

Unimaginable, isn’t it? Thankfully, we were able to move Tisha to a different shelter and the police mobilized a search party.

We’re happy to say the culprit was eventually re-apprehended and sent back to jail. And, after months of therapy, Tisha was able to be resettled with her maternal grandmother. She’s doing well and she and her family continue to receive psychosocial support.

Sadly, this is not the first time the life of a child in our program was in danger. That’s why, in 2022, we decided to open a safe house; a secure location where our most vulnerable survivors can recover and receive the support they need without having to worry about their safety. We call it a Rescue One More Center.

Modeled after the Childen’s Advocacy Centers, our safe house is a place where children receive trauma counseling and emotional support, medical care, case management, and support from social workers and advocates who walk the children through the legal process. They also receive literacy classes and skills training while attending Bible studies, dance, art, and physical education classes.

We are so grateful to our friends and supporters who helped us raise the funds needed to open a safe house. While there’s no place like home, our Rescue One More Center is a safe place for children to recover and heal so they can go on to live healthy, happy, and fruitful lives.

*Not her real name