Fifteen-year-old Teta* left her refugee camp and stopped her studies in February 2026 after being promised a job. Little did she know that this would expose her to significant risks and threaten her dreams, protection, education, and future.
After her mother reported her disappearance, coordinated efforts by Save the Children, UNHCR, the Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA), and the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) traced and rescued her. Returned home at the end of March, she received medical care, psychosocial support, and legal assistance. Today, she is recovering with her family and hopes to return to school in September to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher.
Teta* was 15 and in school when someone from outside the camp promised her a job. Hoping to help her family, she left the refugee camp in total secrecy in February 2026. Her parents did not know her whereabouts.
Instead of the opportunity she had been promised, Teta was forced to work long hours and subjected to physical abuse and sexual exploitation. Far from home and isolated from her family, Teta felt helpless and ashamed.
“I was sexually abused. I dropped out of school after being deceived with promises of a good job. I missed registering for my Primary Six national examination,” Teta said.
After realizing her daughter had disappeared, Teta’s mother reported the case to the authorities. Through coordinated tracing efforts involving Save the Children, the Ministry in charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA), UNHCR and the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Teta and her peer were located and rescued.
“Save the Children staff visited me and assured me that my daughter had been found, even though she was traumatised,” Teta’s mother said.
At the end of March 2026, Save the Children staff received Teta and facilitated their transport back to the refugee camp, where they were reunited with their families.
Upon her return, Teta received medical care, ongoing psychosocial support, and legal referrals to support both their recovery and access to justice.
Today, Teta is living with her family and gradually rebuilding her life. “I was so excited to be back. I never imagined I would see my family again,” she said.
Teta hopes to return to school in September and continue pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher. To resume her studies successfully, she still needs scholastic materials and ongoing support.
Between January and June 2026, case management teams identified, documented, and responded to 379 incidents of violence against women and children, referring 157 survivors to specialized services. During the same period, more than 190 survivors of rape received immediate medical care, including post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), within 72 hours of the incident.
