Why NGOs are preaching more adoption, fostering of trafficked girls

As she recounted some of the experiences, Doreen Nambuya Guloba struggled to hold back tears.

"One day, I remember when we rescued a girl from Kasangati who had been gang raped; we had to go with an ambulance because she was in bad shape, " says the CEO of Lupin Africa, which rescues and rehabilitates trafficked girls.

After the heinous act by unknown people, according to Nambuya, the victim (names withheld) was thrown into a trench and left for dead.

"Unfortunately for the victim, it rained that night. So she was cold, wet and bleeding," Nambuya adds.

She was speaking at Protea Hotel in Kampala on January 24, 2025, at a workshop on ending child trafficking and promotion of rehabilitation centres in Uganda.

As well as highlighting attention to the problem, the event also sought to fundraise money to facilitate the construction of an expanded holding centre for those rescued from traffickers.

According to the 2023 Annual Crimes Report released by Police in February last year,  1,006 cases of trafficking in persons were recorded.

Although this signified a 16.6% decrease in the number of cases reported to Police a year earlier (in 2022), it was reported that up to 43% of those rescued were found to have suffered sexual exploitation. 

Dr Richmond Wandera praying for new board members during the inauguration of the Ugandan Board at Protea Hotel in Kololo on January 24, 2025. (Credit: Juliet Kasirye)

Nambuya highlighted the need for Ugandans to play a part, especially in adopting and fostering rescued girls, as some are very young, yet they have nobody to take them back.

She said after working with the Police to rescue them, an effort is made to trace the girls to their families to reunite them with close relatives.

However, according to her, some girls are victims of sexual molestation by close family members, including their fathers and are seen as a curse by the community.

"That is why it is difficult to take them back," she said, citing other factors that hamper reuniting the victims with their families as broken families, loss of parents, child neglect and lack of opportunities.

Amidst the rising cases, she said there are only three organisations licensed by the Government to partake in rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration work in the country which has left a huge gap.

She revealed that they can rescue no more than 22 girls at a time, adding that they are turning away girls in need of support due to limited space (in their shelters) or because they have insufficient funds.

Richmond Wandera, the leader of Pastors Discipleship Network, said although some of the trafficking has an international dimension to it, with some of the girls destined to countries such as Malaysia, Kenya, Turkey, Thailand and Iraq, others are happening within the country.

He said this kind is often ignored, which is why it thrives and many of its perpetrators get away unscathed by the law.

Ambrose Promise, the Commissioner of the Public Sector Accounts Department in the Finance Ministry who is also a patron of the organisation, hailed the Lupin Africa founders, including Micheal Dean of the US, for supporting the cause, noting that without such efforts, the situation would be more dire.

He said fighting trafficking is not the responsibility of only government and organizations such as Lupin Africa but one for every Ugandan to embrace.

"As we gather here, we are reminded of our shared humanity and common origin. The country needs change makers. We have to make a difference in the lives of many who are recovering from many counts of trauma as a result of human trafficking, " he said.