Earlier this month (April 2022), a child rapist was arrested in Mukono, Uganda, a bustling town on the outskirts of the capital city, Kampala. Like a predator, he laid in wait to pounce on the next innocent, defenseless, and vulnerable child who wandered across his path.

We could tell you we’re the heroes. We could tell you we’re the ones rescuing girls; we’re the ones working hard to meet their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs; we’re the ones bringing an end to sexual violence in Uganda. But the truth is, we’re not the heros. They are.

10 years ago, if you’d asked Vanessa about her dreams for her future, she would have told you she didn’t have any.