Rescue One More Inc

Our goal is to bring safety, justice, and healing to children experiencing sexual violence in Uganda while working to bring an end to Sexual Violence Against Children once and for all.

Rescue One More is tackling the problem of SVAC in Uganda with an integrated community-driven approach based on a proven model (the Children’s Advocacy Centers) which has been implemented in nearly 1,000 communities around the world.

Rescue One More’s approach focuses on forming multidisciplinary teams (which we refer to as Community Action Teams or CATs) consisting of local stakeholders in child protection (i.e. the police, police surgeons, probation officers, local council members, state prosecutors, mental health professionals, and leaders of other child-focused NGOs and CBOs) who work together to develop coordinated strategies for effectively responding to cases of SVAC in their communities.

The goal of each Community Action Team (CAT) is to ensure that children experiencing SVAC receive safety, justice, and healing. CATs also focus on the prevention of SVAC by holding sensitizations for children, teachers, parents, community members, and community leaders.

Key members of the CAT meet regularly for case review sessions where cases are reviewed and response strategies are coordinated. Case reviews continue until a case is successfully resolved.

How the Model Works

• Rescue One More Centers – Based on the Children’s Advocacy Centers model, Rescue One More Centers serve as the central location for all or most services associated with bringing safety, justice, and healing to children impacted by sexual violence. Rescue One More establishes or works closely with Implementation Partners to operate these centers in the districts it works in. In these child-friendly spaces, survivors receive professional counseling, legal and psychosocial support, discipleship, and when needed, safe shelter and resettlement services. These centers also often serve as designated meeting spaces for CAT case reviews and meetings.

• Community Action Teams (CATs) – CATs are multidisciplinary teams consisting of local child protection actors. CATs work together to develop coordinated and effective responses to cases of SVAC. This approach ensures successful investigations and minimizes additional trauma to the child. CATs also work together to develop prevention programs (generally in the form of sensitizations) for their communities.

• Services Facilitated by Rescue One More:
a) Facilitation/transportation for police to investigate crime scenes, make arrests, and ensure the child is examined by police surgeon
b) Temporary safe shelter and resettlement services (when necessary)
c) Instruction on child-friendly police interviews
d) Medical care for survivors
e) Counseling and psychosocial support for child survivors and family members
f) Legal assistance
g) Case review and management

As of Dec. 31, 2022, the following impacts and outcomes had been achieved:

- Over 60 children received services providing safety, justice, and/or healing (emotional, physical and spiritual)
- Over 41 children were rescued from dangerous situations and environments
- 13 children were resettled with safe and loving families
- 34 perpetrators were arrested
- 3 multidisciplinary teams (Community Action Teams) were established and responding to cases of child sexual violence in three districts
- 3 Rescue One More Centers were established and providing children with safe shelter, counseling, medical care, case management services, etc.
- Over 30,000 people had been reached with awareness and prevention messages through community outreach and sensitization programs
- Millions more were reached with prevention messages through 12 national news stories about child sexual violence.