ROTARY FRIENDSHIP EXCHANGE TEAM FROM ARGENTINA - APRIL 28, 2016

 
 
 
 
At the April 28 meeting of Emmaus Rotary Club, members were privileged to meet the twelve members of the incoming Rotary Friendship Exchange team from Argentina.  In front of a packed house, we learned about the country of Argentina, the Buenos Aires province and Rotary District 4895.
 
In addition to four days of activities led by our club, the RFE team was hosted by Doylestown RC for three days and will end the exchange after three days with the Central Bucks RC.  The team has enjoyed numerous dinners, an All-American barbecue and outings to many area sites including the Mercer Museum, Pearl S. Buck House, Moravian Tile Works, Old Town Bethlehem, Lancaster, Longwood Gardens and the Historical District in Philadelphia to name a few.
 
Eight members of the team hail from the city of Escobar which is 50 kilometers northwest of Buenos Aires.   Escobar is known for its National Flower Festival and is home to the Temaikèn Biosphere, a 178-acre zoo specializing in Argentine wildlife and exotic and threatened species.  The Escobar RFE contingent consisted of:
  • Susana Traverso and her husband, Rodolfo Rauscher.  Susana has served as President of Escobar RC for two years.  Susana and Rodolfo operate a nursery specializing in cactuses and other succulent plants.
  • Miguel Erenu is a lawyer who has also served as President of Escobar RC.  His wife, Cristina, is a psychologist specializing in children and family violence.
  • Monica Rodriques Mosquera is a retired agronomic Engineer.  She is currently the President of the Projects and Services Committee of Escobar RC.  Her husband, Tetsuya Hirose, is an ornamental plant grower specializing in ferns. Tetsuya is also the chairman of the National Flower Festival.
  • Carlos Benzaquen is an architect.  He has served as President of Escobar RC and was District Governor in 1986-87.  His wife Marta is a travel agent.  She served as President of Escobar RC in 2001-02. 
 
The other four members of the team are from América, a town of 12,000 people located 500 kilometers west of Buenos Aires in the Pampas region.  The América RC has just fourteen members, but its work in the community – especially for disabled and mentally handicapped persons – has been tremendous.  The América RFE group is comprised of:
  • Luis Busso is an agricultural engineer.  He served as District Governor in 2009-10.  His wife, Paula Obiglio, is a lawyer.  She has served as President América RC three times and is currently Vice President of the club.
  • Susana Genjo is an orthodontist.  She was Director of the Hospital of for 4 years.  Susana served as President of América RC and also coordinated the Interact Club.  Her husband Guillermo Ameijeiras is a veterinarian.
 
It was a privilege to host the team in support of the goal of all Rotary Friendship Exchanges – to advance international understanding and goodwill by building person-to-person connections across national boundaries.