Child Sexual Violence in Uganda | Rescue One More
By Vanessa Lambie, Rescue One More Co-Founder & Development Coordinator
Look at these children.
You can almost hear the laughter, feel the joy, and catch their energy.
This is what childhood should look like.
Not needing counseling because an adult abused, exploited, or trafficked them.
Not having to recount what happened to them in a courtroom.
Not having to live in a safe house because home is no longer safe.
And not having to carry the weight of wondering why something so painful happened to them.
But for many of the children who come into our care, these realities are all too familiar.
At Rescue One More, we want every child survivor to experience safety, justice, and healing. We want every child to rediscover the joy, hope, and excitement of childhood.
Responding to Child Sexual Violence in Uganda
When we first started Rescue One More five and a half years ago, I never imagined the impact we’d make. But God continues to surprise me.
As of Oct. 1, 2026, we’ve helped over 1,230 children.
Today, an average of 38 new children enter our program each month.
Behind every number is a child who deserves protection, care, and the opportunity to heal. That’s why our work centers on four pillars: Safety, Justice, Healing, and Prevention.
Together, these pillars support our mission to prevent child sexual violence while providing survivors with safety, justice, and healing.
Why Community Action Teams Matter
After a child experiences sexual violence, the path toward justice can become overwhelming.
Police, prosecutors, social workers, healthcare providers, and other child protection professionals may all play a role in the same case. Without coordination, however, children and their caregivers can find themselves navigating a complicated system alone.
That’s where Community Action Teams (CATs) come in.
Through our Community Action Teams, we equip child protection leaders to coordinate cases and work together. As a result, children have people walking alongside them throughout the justice process.
This coordinated, child-centered approach is central to our model. In fact, these teams help secure arrests in nearly 70% of the cases we support each month.
But an arrest is just the beginning.
The Long Journey Toward Justice
For a child survivor, the journey toward justice can often span four to six years.
Throughout that journey, our teams keep showing up.
They walk alongside children and families as cases progress. They advocate for children, help coordinate the people involved, and work to keep cases moving toward justice.
This quarter, we saw something worth celebrating:
This quarter (Q3 2026), 12 perpetrators were convicted and sentenced to a combined 140 years in prison, bringing justice to 14 child survivors.
Each conviction matters because it tells a child that their voice was heard. It also sends a clear message that those who harm children will be held accountable.
Beyond that individual case, justice can help protect an entire community. When a perpetrator goes to prison, that person can no longer harm other children in the community.
We’ve seen firsthand what this kind of coordinated response can mean for children. When communities work together, survivors receive support, cases can move more effectively through the justice system, and perpetrators can be held accountable. This community-centered approach is central to the success of our model.
Giving Children the Freedom to Be Children
Safety and justice are important parts of the journey. But they aren’t the end of the story.
We want children to laugh without fear, play with their friends, learn new things, and dream about their futures.
Most of all, we want them to experience the joy, hope, and excitement of childhood.
Because what happened to a child should never be allowed to define what comes next.
Every child deserves the freedom to simply be a child.
Help More Children Experience Childhood as It Should Be
Child sexual violence will not end on its own.
Instead, change requires people who are willing to speak up, step in, and stand with children.
Your prayers and generosity help children find safety, pursue justice, and begin the journey toward healing.
Together, we can help more children experience childhood as it should be: safe, joyful, and full of hope.
