Mother Teresa truly said, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them”.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has definitely exemplified by facilitatingimmigrant survivor-advocate of labor trafficking and debt bondage Harold Henry D’Souza an Indian American on January 26th, at Human Trafficking Summit 2023 organized at Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Harold D’Souza spoke to the press, ‘It is my passion to be the ‘Voice for the Voiceless Victims’. Most important the ‘Survivors’ wife, husband and kids should not be penalized for no fault of theirs. I have no words to express my feelings, emotions, and sentiments to Dave Yost, Attorney General, Jomel Spurlock, Carol O’Brien, Linda Majeska Powers, Kirsti Mouncey, Dr. Lara Wilken and the entire community of Ohio’.
Jomel Spurlock, Director of Victim Services Human Trafficking Initiative at Ohio Attorney General’s Office spoke, “In late 2019, Attorney General Dave Yost reconvened the Ohio Human Trafficking Commission, which originated under Attorney General Richard Cordray. The Human Trafficking Commission has seven, mission-focused subcommittees include Healthcare, Victim Services, Public Awareness and Research/Gap Analysis and Data, to name a few. Led by the Human Trafficking Initiative, the Human Commission intentionally added a vital voice to the conversation: survivors of human trafficking. Harold D’Souza serves on the Advisory Council Ambassadors,they ensure that those with lived experience inform and impact the work being done through the Human Trafficking Commission”.
Honorable Harold D’Souza was honored with a “Award of Commendation” by The Office of Attorney General Dave Yost stating; “As Ohio’s 51st Attorney General, I extend my congratulations and sincerest gratitude for Harold’s generous commitment to helping the state of Ohio fight the scourge of human trafficking. Through Harold’s work as a member of the Ambassador of Advisory Council for the Ohio Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Commission, Harold has provided a powerful voice to anti-human trafficking advocates throughout the state and helped Ohio develop strategies to improve our response to human trafficking”.
Jomel Spurlock further addressed, ‘Harold D’Souza is a labor trafficking survivor leader, public speaker, a Co-Founder of Eyes Open International a non-profit focused on empowering survivors of human trafficking and a former member of the United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, appointed by President Barack Obama and President Donald J. Trump. Harold D’Souza is one of the Advisory Council Ambassadors on Ohio’s Human Trafficking Commission. Harold has been a part of the amazing work being done by the Healthcare Subcommittee and was directly involved in the creation of “Policy and Procedure: Clinical Management of Human Trafficking Patients and/or Those at Risk for Exploitation”. Having survivors at the table and steering the direction of anti-trafficking work is crucial to the success and growth of next steps in responding to human trafficking. Here in the United States, we have a national human trafficking hotline number which is through the Polaris Project. The hotline number for anyone who may need services for human trafficking victims/survivors or to report human trafficking is 1-888-373-7888’.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost certified, ‘I thank Harold D’Souza for his dedication and his efforts to empower survivors and give them hope. I commend Harold for his community service and his support to this worthy cause. Harold your time, passion and energy have helped us move forward in this fight’.