|PIC1|Persecuted refugee Pedro Lopez began his sponsored walk on Friday from Westminster to Portsmouth and back to express his thanks to the people of Britain who welcomed him after fleeing from war-torn Central Africa 19 years ago. Pedro was born to a Cuban army officer and his Angolan wife who were living in Congo at the time.

The Salvation Army provided a temporary home for Pedro at its Edward Alsop Court Social Services Centre in Great Peter Street, Westminster and it is from there that Pedro will set out on his 300-mile round trip.

Pedro, 36, will be joined on his journey by his Portuguese friend, Americo Rodrigues. The two men met briefly whilst Pedro was being held in an Angolan army compound. They met again by chance in the UK and renewed their friendship.

Salvation Army centres between London and Portsmouth are providing overnight accommodation for the two men who are raising funds for the work among the homeless undertaken by the worldwide Christian Church and charity.

Pedro is eager to meet people along the route to share his story and say a personal 'thank you' to the people of Britain who helped him navigate the difficult process of obtaining British citizenship as a persecuted refugee.

'I feel an enormous sense of gratitude to the British people who have so generously granted me a home in their country. I want to give something back to this wonderful community and have chosen The Salvation Army to represent the various agencies who made my life bearable during a period of great difficulty,' explained Pedro.

Pedro has undertaken training in catering during his search for permanent residency and hopes to find employment in the voluntary sector to enable him to help others who may be going through what he has experienced.

Pedro and Americo's route will include the following towns:

Friday 15 June - Westminster (Edward Alsop Court, Great Peter Street) to Croydon Salvation Army, and then to Sutton
Saturday 16 June - Sutton to Guildford
Sunday 17 June - Guildford to Aldershot, then on to Basingstoke
Monday 18 June - Basingstoke to Andover
Tuesday 19 June - Andover to Winchester
Wednesday 20 June - Winchester to Eastleigh
Thursday 21 June - Eastleigh to Southampton
Friday 22 June - Southampton to Catherine Booth House, Portsmouth
Saturday 23 June to Saturday 30 June - return trip via reverse route

Pedro's story is featured in a forthcoming documentary, Bare Life, produced by Pequod Films and due for release later this year. The London-Portsmouth walk will be the subject of a short video work by artist Stephen Hall, who will film the journey.





This article has been reproduced in Christian Today with the kind permission of The Salvation Army.