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MV Mr. George Cunningham leaving his home in Highgate for a training walk. (2 SHOTS)
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LV Cunningham on Hampstead Heath walks towards camera.
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CU Ducks swimming on pond.
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LV Cunningham walks along by edge of lake and waves to kids. Kids wave back.
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LV Cunningham across scrubland on Heath.
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CU Cunningham answers questions put to him by John Darby.
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MV Cunningham salutes turns and walks away.
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TRANSCRIPT: CUNNINGHAM: SEQ 6: "I'm doing it for unity. I've studied quite a lot of international affairs at Oxford University and I've led a fullish life and I want to give back the help that people have given me. I'm doing it purely for altruistic ends. I'm aiming to promote peace in Africa."



DARBY: "But how can one man do this?"



CUNNINGHAM: "Simply by talking, by lecturing. I hope to meet everyone from Presidents to minister to villagers in the streets, and I hope to talk to them, hope to record what they say and send them back to England so that we know what's going on, hope to learn as much as I possibly can. And the other thing is a whole philosophy, a philosophy of community goodwill which has been recognised by President Kaunda of Zambia. And I hope therefore to put across the community goodwill message through speeches and talks which the government has given me the opportunity has given me the opportunity of doing while I'm in Africa for two years."



OXFAM is the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief.




Initials JS


REPORTER: JOHN DARBY

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: On Monday (6 August), a twenty-three-year-old Englishman will leave for Alexandria, Egypt where he will start the first leg of a strange odyssey - a trans-Africa walk.

SYNOPSIS: George Cunningham says he's undertaking the walk to promote peace and understanding between all races. His aim is to raise money for the charity OXFAM, and to realise a personal goal of traversing the African continent by foot. This is not the first such walk that Mr. Cunningham has made. In 1976 he walked from Paris to Split, in Yugoslavia, and raised fifteen hundred pounds (3,300 dollars US) in aid of cancer research. This walk has received the support of President Kaunda of Zambia, President Nimeiri of the Sudan, and the Organisation of African Unity, (OAU).

The walk will take Mr. Cunningham approximately two years -- the time he says it will take to make the journey from Alexandria, Egypt to Cape Agulhas in South Africa, the southernmost point on the continent. John Darby of Visnews asked him to explain why he was starting with such a venture.

The only luxuries Mr. Cunningham will take with him are two china teacups -- so that he won't miss his afternoon tea.