Humans Over Human Trafficking: Massive campaign raises awareness


At age 37, Harold D’Souza arrived in the United States in 2003 from India with hopes of building a better future for himself and his family.

Armed with a master’s degree in marketing management, a postgraduate diploma in human resources development, and a law degree, Harold was lured by the promise of a $75,000 annual salary as business development manager.

Instead, he quickly discovered he was a victim of human trafficking. He was trapped in a nightmare of labor trafficking and debt bondage.

“I came to the United States on trust, faith, a promise, and the dream of living the American Dream,” D’Souza recalls. “But the moment I landed, my trafficker asked if I was carrying any cash. When I said yes, he screamed that it wasn’t safe and took my $1,000 and documents. That was the beginning of my nightmare.”

For 18 months, D'Souza and his wife, Dancy, worked in a Cincinnati restaurant, enduring grueling 14- to 16-hour days, seven days a week. They lived in a one-bedroom apartment without furniture, winter clothing, or adequate food.

“My trafficker made me clean his house, rake leaves, wash dishes, clean toilets, and more,” Harold says. “He even called me ‘illegal’ to dehumanize me.”

"My trafficker threatened me a million times, saying, 'I will get you arrested, hand-cuffed, jailed, or deported," he continues. "My trafficker made it loud and clear that it was my fate to be a slave." Additionally, Souza says his trafficker sexually abused his wife and physically abused his children while Souza stood by helpless.

Harold D’Souza and Katherine Chon, director of Office on Trafficking in PersonsHarold D’Souza and Katherine Chon, director of Office on Trafficking in PersonsD’Souza eventually escaped his trafficker’s control and began a long process of healing and rebuilding. He went through counseling to help work through his trauma. “For six months, I told my counselor I was ‘illegal,’” he recalls. “One day, she corrected me and said, ‘You’re not ‘illegal,’ you’re ‘undocumented.’ That one word changed my thinking and my life.”

Today, D’Souza is a proud U.S. citizen, and a tireless advocate for survivors of human trafficking—appointed to a key U.S. anti-trafficking post by President Barack Obama.

D’Souza is just one victim in the United States out of an estimated 27.6 million victims of human trafficking worldwide, according to the U.S. Department of State.

Combating modern slavery

Human trafficking is the illegal exploitation of individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of labor, services, or commercial sex. Victims are manipulated or controlled—often through threats, deception, or violence—and forced to work against their will for the financial benefit of others.

This crime affects people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds—spanning industries such as agriculture, construction, domestic work, the sex trade, and it happens in families.

Human trafficking is not only a severe violation of human rights but also considered a public health crisis, causing significant physical, emotional, and psychological harm to victims, often leaving them with long-term trauma, health and economic complications. Victims often face long periods of exploitation, with the average trafficking experience lasting seven to 10 years.

“While precise data is challenging to obtain, each reported case represents a survivor in need of critical support and resources,” says Kirsti Mouncey, president and CEO of the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking, a Westlake-based group founded in 2007 to equip the community with the knowledge, tools, and resources needed to address human trafficking. “The Collaborative to End Human Trafficking is committed to shedding light on these stories and driving systemic change.”

Mouncey of CTEHT, Harold and Dancy D’Souza, ret. detective John Morgan of Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking TaskforceMouncey of CTEHT, Harold and Dancy D’Souza, ret. detective John Morgan of Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking TaskforceMany people think that human trafficking isn’t happening in their city, a city like Cleveland, but it is, Mouncey says, calling it a public health crisis.

“We are a survivor-informed organization, meaning everything we do here at the collaborative—programs, governance, all of our work—is informed by survivor voices,” says Margaret Thresher, the collaborative’s director of advocacy and communication.

Mouncey explains the campaign was designed on direct inputs from trafficking survivors, saying, “Survivors have looked at previous awareness campaigns that [depict] chains and red marks, [campaigns] that really drive on fear, and have said, ‘This is horrible. I don't see myself in this.’”

With January being National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking, along with more than 70 organizational members of Greater Cleveland’s Coordinated Response to Human Trafficking, and Cuyahoga County’s Anti-Trafficking Coalition, and many other partners, decided to take action with a new message.

Humans Over Human Trafficking

Today, Thursday, Jan. 16, marks the beginning of a new public awareness campaign: Humans Over Human Trafficking. The campaign takes a markedly different approach from traditional anti-trafficking messaging by focusing on community empowerment, rather than fear.

“This campaign really goes above and beyond just billboards and images and logos—it starts a community movement that unites us in this cause," says Mouncey. “Victims are isolated, supporters are isolated. It's isolating to even talk about this issue, which is what traffickers thrive on. If we don't talk about it, no one will look for it.”

Humans Over Human Trafficking was organized to ignite hope, foster dignity, and inspire actionable change within the Greater Cleveland community. Mouncey says she wants to spur action and send a message that people will start raising awareness of human trafficking as a public health crisis.

“While precise data is challenging to obtain, each reported case represents a survivor in need of critical support and resources,” Mouncey explains. “The Collaborative to End Human Trafficking is committed to shedding light on these stories and driving systemic change.”

Humans Over Human TraffickingHumans Over Human TraffickingThe campaign created pro bono by Cleveland advertising agency Brokaw, Inc. features black and white photography with bright gradient highlights, emphasizing both individual stories and community involvement. It will include billboards, social media content, bathroom mirror stickers, and various promotional materials throughout Greater Cleveland.

“When the opportunity to create a campaign for such an urgent cause presented itself, we knew it had to do more than just raise awareness—it needed to spark action,” Brokaw managing partner Tim Brokaw said in a statement. “Human trafficking is an issue that impacts not just the victims, but every member of our community. At Brokaw, we believe in the power of hope, dignity, and unity. The Humans Over Human Trafficking campaign is our way of showing that, together, we can take meaningful steps toward eradicating this crisis.”

Mouncey says the reality of human trafficking is closer than many people realize, and the isolation, threat of harm and lack of public awareness just fuels the problem. She says Humans Over Human Trafficking is meant to promote awareness and shut traffickers down.

“This campaign will help us build a united front—one that empowers individuals, families, and communities to take action,” she says. “With the support of our Survivor Advisory Council and our coalition members, we’re shining a light on the dignity of every individual and creating hope for a better future, where everyone is seen, valued, and supported.”

The campaign's main call to action is for community members to take the Humans Over Human Trafficking Pledge. After taking the pledge, participants receive a digital toolkit with resources on becoming an ally and taking action against human trafficking.

Local media and billboard companies have donated space throughout the area for the campaign. The campaign has no end date and will continue to evolve as more community members join the movement.

Hope restored

Humans Over Human Trafficking campaignHumans Over Human Trafficking campaignDespite the hardships D’Souza went through, he never gave up. “My trafficker told me it was my fate to be a slave, but I believed in faith, not fate,” he says. “I flipped my failures [I saw] as a parent, provider, protector, and person into [assets like] passion, purpose, power, and prayers.”

Today D’Souza uses his platform to raise awareness and push for systemic change. “Survivors are human beings, not commodities to use and throw,” he says. “My journey is about being the voice for the voiceless victims.”

When asked how he copes with the lingering trauma, Harold offers four lessons: “Be happy. Think positive. Never quit. Believe in yourself.” He credits his son Bradly for teaching him the power of focus: “Follow One Course Until Success.”

He says it took him more than 11 years to overcome the trauma. D’Souza became a citizen in 2023—20 years after first arriving in the U.S. as a modern-day slave.

Despite the scars of his past, D’Souza celebrates the life he has built and the milestones he has achieved, including his 60th birthday this past December. “Trauma has no expiration date,” he says. “But I’ve learned to turn obstacles into opportunities.”

Karin Connelly Rice
Karin Connelly Rice

About the Author: Karin Connelly Rice

Karin Connelly Rice enjoys telling people's stories, whether it's a promising startup or a life's passion. Over the past 20 years she has reported on the local business community for publications such as Inside Business and Cleveland Magazine. She was editor of the Rocky River/Lakewood edition of In the Neighborhood and was a reporter and photographer for the Amherst News-Times. At Fresh Water she enjoys telling the stories of Clevelanders who are shaping and embracing the business and research climate in Cleveland.