Mangaluru: For the undergraduate and post-graduate students of the School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya a motivational talk titled “Make Each Day Your Masterpiece” was organised on 17 August 2023 and featured Harold D Souza, President of Eye Open International, as the keynote speaker. D Souza is a passionate advocate for the prevention, protection, and empowerment of victims of human trafficking and sexual abuse worldwide.
During his speech, he emphasized the importance of trust, faith, promise, and dreams as the four main values to be followed. He connected these values to being happy, positive, persistent, and believing in oneself. Drawing from his own life experiences, he explained how to turn failure into success. He encouraged the students to never lose faith because it is essential to overcoming obstacles in life. He also advised them to focus on building a strong foundation, stating that if the foundation is solid, nothing can destroy it. He shared impactful quotes and conveyed that failure is a path to success and that for every problem, there is a solution.
Speaking about freedom he mentioned that freedom is close to his heart as he was a victim of human trafficking. He narrated his experience of moving out of exploitation and being a voice for many others who are experiencing similar conditions. He further stated that he is lucky to be at the School of Social Work as this institute is close to his heart and the institute always supported and encouraged his work against human trafficking.
He also shared his story of life realising that it could help others who have gone through similar experiences. He encouraged everyone to speak up and seek help when needed, as there is always someone willing to listen and offer support.
Overall, Harold’s talk was a powerful reminder of the importance of perseverance, positivity, and helping others. His personal story and work with Eyes Open International left a lasting impact on the students, inspiring them to make a difference in their own lives and communities.
In conclusion, Harold stated that human trafficking is a global menace that requires a collective effort to combat. It is important to educate ourselves and others about the signs of trafficking and how to report it. We must also support survivors by providing them with resources and services to help them recover and rebuild their lives. Together, we can make a difference in the fight against human trafficking.
President of the Institute of Social Service Vida Sequeira, Secretary Eveleen Bennis, Principal Dr Sophia N Fernandes, Registrar Vineetha Rai, Dr Sandra Lobo, NAAC Co – ordinator, Prof. FareedaGoveas, IQAC Co ordinator among others were present.
Report by:- Dr Sebastin K V, Dean – Academics, School of Social Work
