“I drive my happiness when I save a child”: Altruistic passion, purpose, and growth in caring for victims of child sacrifice and trafficking in Uganda.

Abstract

Child sacrifice remains a horrific contemporary crime that masquerades as an old custom. Its revival in Uganda this century as a worldwide commercial enterprise, leaves those working to expose this violence, rescue, and care for the victims of child sacrifice, at psychological risk. This idiographic study sought subjective interpretations from 6 female carers working with a faith-based organization that rescues and cares for victims of child sacrifice/trafficking in Uganda. Semistructured interviews provided data for analysis using the protocols of interpretative phenomenological analysis. One superordinate theme, Cultural darkness, passion, purpose, and growth, overarched 5 subordinate themes: 1) Mission in life; 2) Dark society, dark future; 3) Cost to self; 4) Coming from a place of humility, openness, and learning; and 5) Healing children, healing life and healing society. Participants reflected on a strong "calling" or spiritual commitment to the high needs of others victimized by child sacrifice. This juxtaposed with inherent risks to personal safety, psychological distress, altruistic disruption, loss, and burnout. Skeptical of political will to eliminate corrupt practices, and shamed by cultural acceptance, the gratitude of child victims triggered humility, empathy, compassion, patience, and sense of purpose in the participants. Unexpectedly, carers spoke of overcoming the impossible through soothing and nurturing a renewed love of life and trust in the children, and seeking opportunities for psychological and spiritual growth for themselves out of merciless inhumanity. Culturally appropriate organizational trauma-management, and self-care protocols and procedures to protect carers' mental health and well-being, is a unique field of posttrauma recovery and growth that actively needs support.