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Local labor trafficking survivor brings national council to Cincinnati

Truly said, never underestimate the power of a common man. This has definitely been exemplified by this ordinary labor trafficking and debt bondage survivor, Harold D’Souza from India, now doing extra-ordinary humanitarian deeds in the United States of America.
The U.S. Advisory Council is appointed by the President of the United States for two-year terms. The Council, established by the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA), provides a formal platform for trafficking survivors to advise and make recommendations on federal anti- trafficking policies to the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF). Each member is a survivor of human trafficking and together represent a diverse range of backgrounds, experiences and expertise.

Harold D’Souza a member of the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking and living in Cincinnati area is organizing, Ohio regional meetings focused on raising awareness about the high percentage of labor and sex trafficking victims in Ohio, many of whom do not come forward due to fear, justice system failures, stigma, threats from traffickers, or lack of knowledge of Ohio resources.

It will be the council’s first visit to Ohio since its inception, and D’Souza says the timing couldn’t be better.  This event will be graced by council members, Tanya Street, Sheila White and delegates from Washington DC. The objective of the meeting is to gather information, educate, empower, create awareness, and brainstorm about meaningful survivor engagement.

As part of the Council’s information gathering efforts, several members will be in the Cincinnati/Columbus, Ohio region from August 4th till 7th, 2019. The goal of the Council for this visit is to learn about local efforts to raise awareness and combat both sex and labor trafficking from a range of community stakeholders, including federal regional offices, state and local government, law enforcement, health and education organizations, non-governmental organizations, as well as local survivors.

“Charity begins from your own community. Cincinnati is a cool, caring and compassionate community. My goal is to ensure every community member is safe, happy and living his life with freedom. My family is happy, empowered and thankful to God, this feeling should be in every community members of Cincinnati” reflected Harold D’Souza.

The council will hold public events in Cincinnati hosted by Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur on Monday, August 4th, and in Columbus hosted by the Governor’s Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force and The Ohio State University, on Tuesday, August 6th.

Harold D’Souza reflects; “Making a mistake is not a mistake, making no mistake is mistake, repeating a mistake is a big mistake, but learning from your mistake to empower others to live a happy life is not mistake. Survivors are poor starters but strong finishers in life”.