On September 12, Rotarian and polio survivor Bashar Asfour will stop in Zurich. Asfour launched his "My Journey to End Polio" tour on August 31, traveling from Berlin to Chemnitz in an electric VW bus to raise awareness and funds for the EndPolio organization. There will be a charity dinner during his stay in Zurich. Registrations for the Charity Dinner will be accepted until 4 September.
A dedicated Rotarian since 1996, Asfour is a highly competent management professional with over 40 years of experience and core competencies in business development, strategic partnerships, retail, trade, industry, communications, logistics, human resources, project initiation and management, humanitarian aid and community service. He contracted polio at the age of 10 months and underwent multiple surgeries until the age of 20.
Joining him will be another distinguished guest, Aidan O'Leary, Director of Polio at WHO. A native of Ireland, O'Leary served as Office Director in Yemen for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and also has extensive experience in countries such as Iraq and Syria, where he also served as Office Director for OCHA.
O'Leary also has extensive experience in polio eradication in countries where wild poliovirus is still endemic. He was head of polio eradication in Pakistan for UNICEF from 2015 to 2017 and office director for OCHA in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2014.
The programme also includes a presentation with film by the Rotary Club Zurich Circle International about their new initiative to fight polio: the Rotary Lounge at Zurich Airport. An exclusive tour of the Rotary Lounge at Zurich Airport for Polio Plus Society members will take place at 5:00 pm:
- Duration: approx. 45-60 min.
- Number of participants: maximum 15
- Registrations: Send name and company (or private) to Cory Edwards (cory.edwards@rotary2000.ch)
- Participation Requirement: All persons must bring identification (ID, passport).
- Meeting point will be communicated to the participants before the event.
