Play on the Plight of Sex Workers

On the 28^thof August, 2019, the Social Work Students’ Association (SWSA) of the Department of Social Work in association with Sadhana Mahila Sangha, organised a Kannada play based on the harsh realities of being a sex worker in the city of Bangalore. The play was performed at Xavier Hall, PG block, St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Bengaluru. The performers portrayed the life story of a typical female sex worker who was forced to take up this profession by her own husband. Through the play, the actors highlighted the fact that although sex work is a profession recognised by law of the land, the social stigma against sex workers is still prevalent in India. In fact, many women are thrown purposefully into these difficult situations by their own family members or close kin. After the play, there was a short interaction session between the students present and the performers. Answering all the questions posed by the students, the performers highlighted the fact that it is customary law and overly-conservative attitude of society that is keeping sex workers from claiming their right to a decent life, free from harassment and exploitation. The play was an eye opener to social work students and a prime example of how art can be used to convey strong messages and spread awareness about such issues in society.

Sting Operation on Massage Parlour

Arun John Peter (18BSW42012) of 2^ndBSW, Department of Social Work, as part of his field work was sent to investigate a possible sex racket in the Koramangala area of Bengaluru. He and two other students from another college were directed by the organisation they were placed in as part of field work, to investigate this matter. The place they were asked to investigate was disguised as a massage parlor but there were reports of it being a more sinister place where even under-aged girls were being forced to engage in prostitution. Arun John Peter went undercover as a customer to investigate this matter. Once inside, he found it to have several women dressed to entice the customers (men) of which two appeared underaged. This confirmed some of the earlier reports and Arun made his way out of the place informing muscled men running the place that he did not have sufficient money at the moment and would return tomorrow. Unknowing to him and the other two students, they were followed to a restaurant where Arun was surrounded by about 15 men who spoke to him threateningly and were ready to strike him down. However, Arun using skills of negotiation was able to escape unharmed and informed the DCP office who stated that they would take appropriate action based on his account. It was an act of bravery and quick thinking that helped this student from the department to expose this racket without being harmed.

World Organ Donation Day

The World Organ Donation Day is observed on 13th August worldwide and is focused on creating awareness among the public on the importance of donating organs. On Wednesday, 21^st August, 2019 the IIIrd year BSW students of St. Joseph's College (Autonomous), Bengaluru, had organised an awareness programme in the College Campus on account of World Organ Donation Day. Students actively participated to create awareness on how different organs in the human body are important and why donation of organs is a noble act. It started out at the Arupe Block at 01:10 PM with a poster presentation on organs that can be possibly donated namely- eyes, liver, pancreas, kidney, bone marrow, lungs ,heart  etc. Other students and faculty interacted with the students who presented the process and steps to register for donation of organs and also some interesting facts relating to organ donation. The posters also highlighted the various schemes and policies initiated by the government for the effective reduction of the cost of organ transplantation. The students also spoke about donating hair to cancer patients and encouraged other students observing the awareness programme to learn more about donation of organs and how to apply for it.

The students of IIIrd year BSW then went around the college campus speaking to different students from various backgrounds regarding the day and cause. There were different opinions regarding organ donation by the student community. Overall, the programme helped spread the importance of organ donation among students and faculty members of the college. 

CODE BRAHMA: Social Work Students Initiative to Aid the Flood Affected Victims of Assam

Recently, the State of Assam was in the midst of an unprecedented flood havoc that caused wide scale devastation. The Department of Social Work, St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Bengaluru in collaboration with SWSA (Social Work Students Association) organised a relief drive for the immediate support of the people affected by this unfortunate disaster. The core team which consisted of SWSA office bearers, volunteered representatives from the five batches, experienced members from previous year’s Kerala relief and faculty coordinators, namely Lt. Akshay D Mandlik, the Head of the Department and Fr. Dr. G Augustine Lourdu OFM, Assistant Professor, was formed. On 25^th July 2019, the drive started with placing drop boxes in the college campus, followed by which social work students approached various institutions and shopping complexes in search of interested donors. A collection centre was opened in SG Palaya which was monitored by the students and other volunteers. The other Social Work classes also joined the efforts. After 20 days of hard work around three tons of relief materials were collected. Since the target was to reach out to a village in Assam these materials were segregated into family kits. With the efforts of the students, 220+ kits were prepared which had food materials, toiletries, housekeeping items and medicines. On 16^thAugust, 2019, the Principal, Rev. Fr. Victor Lobo blessed the students and prayed for the betterment of the people in need. The materials were then transported to Bangalore Cantonment Station and by 10:30 PM, 63 sacks of relief materials each weighing around 45kgs were loaded on to the train and sent to Assam for those in need. 

Orientation Visit to Kerala Samajam, Charitable Society, Bengaluru

On Friday, 9^thAugust, 2019, a field work orientation visit was organised by the Department of Social Work, St Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Bengaluru, for the 1^stMSW students to Kerala Samajam Charitable Society, Bengaluru. The orientation began at 11:00 a.m. Mr E.V. Paul, explained to the students about the working of Kerala Samajam including its history. Currently, there are more than 290 members. Mr Paul stated that this organisation works for not just Keralites living in Bengaluru, but for everyone. The organisation has a cancer bus service for the detecting cancer. The bus is equipped with some of the latest technology for detecting cancer. The organisation also has tie-ups with some of the hospitals for this purpose in Bengaluru. The session concluded at 12.:30 p.m. 

Orientation visit to Liza’s Home, Bengaluru

An orientation visit for the 1^stMSW students of the Department of Social Work, St. Joseph’s college (Autonomous), Bengaluru, took place on the 8^th of August, 2019, to Liza’s Home. The orientation session was headed by Mr. Anand, a parent member of the organisation, who spoke about the history, vision, mission, and goals of the organisation. 

He explained that Liza’s Home was started in the 1980’s in Bengaluru, India by Dr. Molly Abraham in the name of her daughter Liza.  Liza was diagnosed with meningitis when she was an infant which left her brain-injured. She developed severe mental and physical disabilities as time went by. Dr. Molly established the Home, with support from her husband Late Rev. Dr. K.C Abraham and other well wishers. It is a home for mentally and physically challenged women, which caters to their disabilities and provides them shelter.

Later, Dr. Deepa who is a parent member of the organisation explained about the various types of disabilities and the therapies that can help resolve them. Following the orientation, the students had an interaction/ice breaker session with the residents during which they sang together. The orientation visit came to an end at 1 PM.

S.W.S.A. Fest- 2019

The Social Work Students Association (SWSA) of the Department of Social Work, St, Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Bengaluru, organised the ‘SWSA Fest’ on the 5^th and 6^{th of} August, 2019. The theme of the fest was ‘Youth reimagining Justice’. All the students of the department actively participated in it. 

Day 1 (August 5) - The first event was  poster making which was held in the PG Block. Each team had to come up with a creative way to portray a message related to the theme.  A total of seven groups participated in this event. This was followed by the creative writing contest which had ten participants and the painting contest which had eight participants. The on-stage events conducted on day 1 were- group song which had five groups and tableau in which four groups participated.

Day 2 (August 6) - The first off-stage event for day 2 was extempore in which six students participated. This was followed by the photography event. The on-stage events consisted of group dance and the much-awaited fashion show. The theme for the fashion show was ‘Breaking Gender Binaries’.  

The SWSA Fest 2019 was a huge success as it brought together students of all five batches of the Social Work Department. 

Programme on World Courts of Women organised by SWSA

The Social Work Students Association (SWSA) conducted a session for 1^stand 2^ndMSW students of the Department of Social Work, St. Joseph's College (Autonomous) on world courts of women. The session was conducted by Dr. Corrine Kumar (International Co-ordinator of World Courts of Women). The event started at 2:00pm in De Nobili Hall. The session commenced with an insight  into the various problems faced by marginalised women. The trainees were reminded of the overwhelming silence in the cases of overwhelming violence. Later, video clippings of the problems raised in the courts of women was shown. One of the clippings showed the extent of poverty faced by a woman where the woman had to feed on snails and fed her children the same and ended up being infested with guinea worm. Also, clippings of various other problems brought to the court were shown to the trainees. The session ended with interaction with the trainees where the trainees raised their questions and doubts and Dr. Corrine Kumar was more than happy to clarify them.  The session provided a good learning experience for the students.

Awareness Rally on Human Trafficking by SWSA

The Social Work Students Association (SWSA) in collaboration with Talaash Association, a National Human Rights Organisation, who work to ensure equality and legal, social and economic rights of everyone, organised a rally and still mob to escalate the awareness on human trafficking on Bannerghatta Road. The 1^stBSW students and few interns from 2^nd BSW were part of this awareness programme. They had their very first experience in having a still mob in public. A few students  played various characters such as domestic workers, sex workers, child labour etc., to highlight as to what happens to a trafficked person, while the others gathered around holding placards urging everyone to put an end to this atrocious practice. The students caught the attention of a large crowd along the way. The awareness on this issue was spread in the local language as well so as to deliver the message to every single person out there. It was a successful programme which had a strong motive behind it. 

Awareness Drive on Human trafficking at Bengaluru City Railway Station

The Department of Social Work in collaboration with International Justice Mission (IJM) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF), organised an awareness drive on human trafficking on the 30^thof July, 2019 which is observed as world day against trafficking in persons. The drive was conducted in Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station, Bengaluru. Ms. Shari Tess Mathew, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, St. Joseph’s College was in charge of the awareness drive. The awareness drive included students performing a skit to highlight the issue of human trafficking and how it occurs. Dr. Alan Godfrey, Assistant Professor and PG coordinator, St. Joseph’s College, performed a thematic classical dance to put forward the plight of those who lose their children to human trafficking. Students then formed a human chain around the railway station, chanting slogans against the evil practice of human trafficking. The students were also involved in talking to and informing taxi and auto rickshaw drivers about how human traffickers operate so that they can help identify and report it to the authorities. Several media persons attended the drive and reported the same in their newspapers. One television channel covered the event as well. 

Symposium on Ethics, Opportunities & Challenges in the light of National Education Policy- 2019

A national level symposium on ethics, opportunities, and challenges in light of the draft National Education Policy 2019, was jointly organized by Department of Social Work, St Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Globe Ethics.net, and Journal of Dharma, on the 27^thJuly 2019 at Xavier Hall, PG Block, St Joseph’s College. The aim of this symposium was to gather experts in different fields, understand the impact of draft NEP 2019 in their respective fields, deliberate on the policy, and arrive at resolutions to be sent to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. Experts from various fields such as education, ethics, philosophy, minority rights, fact finders, organisations working for the differently abled, and teachers and students participated in this symposium. Dr. Alan Godfrey, Assistant Professor and PG Coordinator welcomed the gathering. Post welcome address by the PG coordinator, the programme was inaugurated by lighting of lamp by the dignitaries. 

In the first session, Dr. Sripad Bhatt, a Social activist and writer, explained the history of education in the country from a policy perspective with references to thoughts of Jyothibha Phule and Savitri bhai Phule, Kothari Commission report of 1968, NEP 1968, NEP 1986, effect of globalisation on education, the Subramanian Committee report, which paved way for the new draft NEP, prepared by the Kasturirangan Committee in 2018. He highlighted 5 challenges in the report – He stated that constitutional values were absent from the draft policy, there was an absence of adequate collection and use of primary data while preparing the policy, the policy’s consideration of education field as a ‘sector’, the lack of sufficient consultation with stakeholders of education, and saffronisation. The second session was handled by Fr. Dr. Jose Nandhikkara, CMI, on the Ethical challenges and Opportunities in context of draft National Education Policy (NEP) 2019. Fr. Jose is the national director of the organization, Globe Ethics.net and a professor of philosophy at Dharmaram Vidya Kshethra, Bangalore. Father Nandhikkara explained about the philosophy of education, relevance of ethics and moral values in education as well as in day to day life. The third session was headed by Dr. John Mohan Raju, a faculty at United Theology College, Bengaluru and a political writer and thinker. He explained the transformative power of education as envisioned by Paulo Frairie in his Pedagogy of the oppressed and the shortcomings of the current education field where innovation is not given importance. He urged the audience to be interdisciplinary rather than being stuck with only one’s own field. In the fourth session, Fr. Joseph Xavier SJ explained the ground realities of education in rural areas and the impact of draft NEP 2019 on the lower class communities. He highlighted the dangers of the new draft policy such as school complex, exclusion of people from the system etc. and inspired the audience to respond and fight against this injustice. This was followed by a question and answer session and then the lunch break.   

In the afternoon session, a panel discussion was convened with the panelists Ms. Shukla Bose, Babu Khan, Siva Manindran, Dr. John Mohan Raju, and Fr. Joseph Xavier. The moderator of the discussion was Dr. Etienne Rassendren, a faculty at St. Joseph’s College. The panelists shared their views and highlighted the positive and negative impact of the draft policy. A question and answer session cum discussion was curated by the moderator where individuals from various walks of life such as students, teachers, and experts participated in the discussion. The resolution of the symposium was passed under the initiative of Prof. Y J Rajendra, Department of Social Work. The Head of the Department, Lt. Akshay D. Mandlik extended his vote of thanks to all the resource persons, participants, and organisers who helped make the symposium possible.