Alumni Lecture Series II – Social Work & HIV/AIDS

The first lecture of the Alumni Lecture Series II was held on 3^rd December 2021. It was on the theme, ‘Social Work and HIV/AIDS’. The resource person for the session was Ms. Maria Sonia Louis, Counsellor and Researcher. She has experience in working with HIV/AIDS affected women and children as a Medical Social Worker. She has also worked as Counsellor for advanced stage cancer patients (Palliative Care). The programme began with the invocation song by Elina from 1^st BSW. Marryam from 3^rd BSW, the emcee welcomed the gathering and gave a brief introduction to the session. The moderator, Shravani from 3^rd BSW introduced the speaker and familiarised the audience to the topic. After which, the speaker, Ms. Maria Louis addressed the gathering. She threw light on the meaning and transmission of HIV/AIDS, the misconceptions among people regarding the disease, treatment and its preventive measures. She emphasised on the role of social workers while working with people who are suffering from HIV/AIDS. She highlighted the importance of counselling and the role of palliative care in HIV/AIDS. The lecture was an eye opener for the budding social workers who were present. The moderator gave the concluding remarks. The session ended with the vote of thanks by Ann Maria, President of SWSA. 

Human Rights Week Celebration – Ambedkar Memorial Lecture 2021

The Ambedkar Memorial lecture was held on 6^th December 2021 through the MS Teams platform. The resource person for the lecture was Dr. Tanoj Meshram, Former Civil Servant, Social Activist and Researcher. The program started by invoking God’s blessings with a prayer song. Then, Chitra from 2^nd MSW – Emcee of the program highlighted the importance of Human Rights and the significance of the Ambedkar Memorial Lecture. Dr. Mary Princess Lavanya - Associate Professor, School of Social Work welcomed the gathering. Then, the Moderator: Rev. Dr. Augustine Lourdu, Dean of School of Social Work took over the session and gave a brief introduction to the topic and the resource person. This was followed by Dr. Tanoj Meshram ’s address about Dr. Ambedkar, his early life, education, how he faced caste discrimination and untouchability in his life and how he got inspired to work towards removing discrimination. Dr. Ambedkar made a positive impact on the lives of many people who strive for a just society where all are equal with no discrimination. His ideas got incorporated into the constitution and they stand for equality, freedom, and Abolition of social evils. Dr. Ambedkar was an advocate of promoting the light of education. He also stated that Dr. Ambedkar worked towards a society where women are granted equal rights as those of men. At the end, the resource person threw light on the role of a social workers in promoting the idea of Ambedkarism, how important it is for us to take his idea forward and fight against the injustices in our society. The lecture was followed by the Q and A session where students actively participated in the discussion. Dr. Augustine then gave the concluding remarks. Janane Shree – Treasurer of SWSA delivered the vote of thanks. The session was very inspiring and enlightening. 

World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day (1^st  December, 2021) was observed by the Social Work Students' Association through a still mob where the 3^rd BSW students were scattered around the college canteen with posters during the lunch break. The aim of sharing these posters was to spread awareness regarding HIV/AIDS and to reduce the social stigma attached to it.

World Kindness Day

 

World Kindness Day is celebrated on the 13th of November every year. The Social Work Students' Association shared stories of kindness on their Instagram page from 13^th to 17^th November 2021. Students shared events and stories from their lives of how they were touched by an act of kindness. The aim of sharing these stories was to bring hope to the viewers that by being kind and caring, we can make the world a better place to live in.

Alumni Meet

The Alumni meet was conducted on the 27th of November, 2021 at 3:00 pm exclusively for the alumni from 17BSW, 18BSW, 18MSW and 19MSW batches. Fr. Denzil Lobo SJ addressed the gathering about St. Ignatius of Loyola and the cannonball moment. Prof. YJ Rajendra, Associate Professor, School of Social Work addressed the alumni on the current situation of the nation and what social workers can do to bring a change. The interaction session with Alumni working in different areas was the highlight of the event. It was moderated by Lt. Akshay D. Mandlik, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work. The alumni shared their experiences of how the course had moulded them into better individuals and professionals in the field. The department awards were given to all the students who  had excelled during their period in the college.  The COVID warriors were honoured for their contribution during the pandemic.  The award ceremony was facilitated by Prof. Latha Paul, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work.  It was followed by a cultural programme, which was enjoyed by all who were present for the event.