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.

Special Lecture on the Theme ‘Inclusive Education in View of the Pandemic’

The special lecture was conducted on the theme, ‘Inclusive Education in view of the Pandemic’ on 24th November 2021 at 3 pm in  the Xavier Hall. The resource person for the lecture was Mr. Manohar Ranganathan, Executive Director, CARE.  The lecture was conducted to commemorate World Children’s Day  which falls on 20^th November 2021. The resource person threw light on the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown on children especially children coming from slum areas, their difficulties like low internet access and financial constraints prevent that them from attending online classes. He emphasized on SDGs and how it is working towards quality educational and good health, apart from other important areas. He also talked about the possible interventions and the role of social workers in uplifting underprivileged children. The concluding remarks for the session was given by Dr. Mary Princess Lavanya, Associate Professor, School of Social Work. 

SWSA Inaugural Ceremony 2021-2022

The SWSA inaugural ceremony for the year 2021-2022 was held on the 13th of October 2021 through MS Teams. The programme was solicited by the presence of Ms. Rebecca Taylor as the chief guest. The programme began with a prayer song by Girija from 2nd MSW. Then, Anna Theresa, the Vice President of SWSA welcomed the gathering. Bijila Mariam, programme coordinator of SWSA then introduced the chief guest Ms. Rebecca Taylor, who is a Director of an International Event Management Firm in Australia. She holds a Guinness World Record and is a National Award-winning cartoonist. She is currently, a professor in the field of Event Management at the University of Alberta, Lisbon, Portugal. She shared her experince of working with children with HIV/AIDS which changed her perspective of life and how she viewed her expertise. She inspired the gathering with her passion to work towards child rights and women empowerment. The programme continued with Prof. Kiran Jeevan reminding the students about the beginnings of SWSA and how far it have come.  Ms. Taylor declared the association open for the year 2021-2022. Then, Prof. Viola Noronha, SWSA coordinator, introduced the members of the core committee for the year 2021-2022. It was followed by the oath taking ceremony by the core committee members. Then Dr. Alan Godfrey, Head of the Department,  addressed the gathering and congratulated the members of the new committee for being elected and wished them good luck. A virtual skit was then performed by the students of 3rd BSW on the awareness of mental health and its importance. Then, Sanchitha of 2nd BSW sang by Whitney Houston. There was also a dance performance by Meghana of 2nd MSW.  Ann, the president of SWSA gave the vote of thanks, thanking everyone for their valuable contribution towards the success of the programme. The programme ended with a group photo of all who were present.