Media Release
Mangaluru, Feb 1: In loving and grateful memory of the contributions made by Dr Olinda Pereira (from August 15, 1925 to May 31, 2020), the founder principal of the School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, towards Professional Social Work, a trust, namely, ‘Centre for leadership and social development' in the memory of Dr Olinda Pereira, the founder principal of the School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, Mangaluru' was formed and registered on November 6, 2020, the diamond jubilee year of the establishment of the School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya.
The founding trustees are the former students of Dr Olinda Pereira - S N Gopinath, Bhima Rao and Ravichandra Bekal who after the demise of Dr Olinda Pereira on May 31, 2020 sent a proposal dated June 10, 2020 to the management of Roshni Nilaya to form a trust in memory of Dr Olinda Pereira. From then, the three founding trustees worked diligently towards forming the trust by obtaining registration and other financial documents. The provincial of the Daughters of the Heart of Mary, India Province South, the president of The Institute of Social Service, Roshni Nilaya, the principal of the School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya as well as the president of Roshni Alumni Association, Mangaluru and the president of Roshni Alumni Association, Bengaluru chapter are the trustees.
Some of the objectives of the trust are to foster the initiatives which bring forth and keep alive the ideals practiced and cherished by Dr Olinda Pereira - 'Love is made fruitful in service', to encourage and develop value-based leadership, to encourage and undertake action-oriented social research and publications as well as social development programmes and activities that Dr Olinda Pereira believed in, such as gender diversity and empowerment, helping the needy and deserving, being the voice of the voiceless, care of the elderly and other areas she had focused on.
Some of the action-oriented programmes envisaged are: scout talent among social work students (Medical & Psychiatric Social Work, Community Development, Juvenile Delinquency, Correctional Administration, Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management), NGOs, young professionals, and faculty, promote value-based leadership in the above-mentioned settings, promote research and publications.
In this context, the inaugural ceremony of the newly established trust will be held on Tuesday February 2 at 10.00 am at Maria Paiva Hall, School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya keeping to the COVID-19 protocol prevailing at that point of time. Isaac Vas, the president of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mangaluru will inaugurate the trust joined by the founder trustees and Dr Rita Noronha, professor emeritus of School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, Mangaluru, faculty, alumni and student representatives.