From August 2016 to July 2017 ZHRO members Rashiwe Bayisayi and John Burke set about finding a practical walking route from Brighton to London. Some 100 miles of walking later; By utilising the old railway route, now called the Downs Link, that took us all the way to Guildford. From Guildford the River routes allowed us to get to Kempton Park and latterly Hampton Court. We have now completed 5 such walks 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 [these last two during "Lockdown"!]. We are now preparing for 2022 on 13-14th August [Full Moon (again) to aid the night section] and see preparation articles due soon and our Facebook Page too
Walking for Activism: for fitness, for publicity; for a public reaction. But just to mingle in the wonderful British country-side and to enjoy the scenery
Charles Kanyimo has initiated a Walk for Freedom practice event on the 6th April 2025 Sunday - less than a day away for those local to SHEFFIELD, South Yorkshire. SEE FLYER - CLICK HERE
Due to other claims on Charles's time he needs to start this short walk at 8:00am but due to its short and circular nature, the Practice Walk can start again at 10:00am for those who cannot arrive so early. We should make sure we can all meet from both 7:30am and/or 9:30am next to the Sheffield's main Railway Station - Ready for the PHOTO LOG we have already created the Flickr Album for the Day
Check back here to see further updates
we will be be using this BANNER for our ongoing activism (this photo was from our
High Force walk in 2023)
Meeting at the Sheffield Main Railway Station
Arriving at Either or BOTH 7:30am AND 9:30am for
prompt 8:00am AND 10:00 am starts. {Do not attempt to arrive by 10 please}
This map from Ordnance Survey shows Central Sheffield
CLICK on the MAP to see a much larger image
Every Step Counts: dateline 7th April 2025 by Charles Kanyimo
Yesterday, I joined fellow activist John Burke for a 9km practice walk in Sheffield. It was part of our preparations for a much bigger challenge this coming August — a sponsored walk from Brighton to London.
Our mission is clear: to raise funds and awareness for human rights in Zimbabwe.
This walk isn’t just about fitness.It’s about solidarity. It’s also about standing with the people of Zimbabwe who are facing some of the worst human rights abuses in recent history. Mnangagwa’s government has intensified its crackdown on freedom of expression, peaceful protest, and political dissent. A big example is the recent imprisonment of journalist Blessed Mhlanga, jailed simply for doing his job —reporting the truth. His arrest is part of a wider pattern of repression where journalists, activists, lawyers, and ordinary citizens live in fear for daring to speak out.
The newer campaign started today - entitled "Walk to Nowhere" is detailed at the ZHRO website {Click Link for details} It uses the 45 year anniversary of "Independence" to reflect upon just how Independent are Zimbabweans? So a 45 kilometre circular walk is envisaged - going nowhere!! It is a year long campaign starting on the 18th April 2025 and we hope making a global impact too!
Our upcoming Brighton to London walk also symbolises the long, hard journey towards justice and freedom for Zimbabweans. Yesterday’s 9km in Sheffield may seem small, but every step we take is for those who cannot walk freely in their own country — those silenced, imprisoned, and persecuted for demanding a better Zimbabwe. We are walking to raise funds, but also to raise awareness. The world must not look away. Blessed Mhlanga’s story, and the stories of so many others, deserve to be told. Their struggle is real. Their courage inspires us. And their fight for human rights is one we all have a duty to support.
Phylis Melody Magejo has initiated a Walk for Freedom practice event on the 5th April 2025 - less than a day away for those local to BLACKBURN, Lancashire. SEE FLYER - CLICK HERE
We should make sure we can all meet from 9:30am next to the main car park at the park - postcode BB2 2TP or Witton Park Car Park, Witton Park Main Entrance, 293 Preston Old Rd, Darwen, Blackburn BB2 2TS for those using Sat Nav and driving. Ready for the PHOTO LOG we have already created the Flickr Album for the Day
Check back here to see further updates
Meeting at the Car Park area at the Entrance to Witton Park, Blackburn
BB2 2TS. Arriving at 9:30am for a prompt 10:00 am start. {Do not attempt to arrive by 10 please}
This map from Ordnance Survey shows Witton Park, Blackburn
PLUS Walking Routes further afield.
CLICK on the MAP to see a much larger image
WhatsApp Conference Minutes:
Walk for Freedom at Wilton Park
Today, 30 March, 2025 at 14:00 hrs four (4) Zimbabwe Human Rights (ZHRO) members including John Burke held a telephonic conversation in preparation for a Walk for Freedom at Wilton Park in Blackburn. The other three present were Phylis Melody Magijo, Theophilas Mkuhlani and myself, Josephine.
The idea was proposed by Melody and John was informed and agreed to the noble idea of resuming the Freedom Walks.
It was suggested that the walk would be best done during the weekend and a date was proposed. All present agreed for Saturday 5 April, 2025. People will meet in the park at 9.30am and the walk is scheduled for 10.00am. The exact meeting point would be advised in due course.
Melody volunteered to design the banner as soon as possible assisted by Josephine. John urged members to extend invitation to the scheduled walk.
John encouraged those attending to bring water and wear sensible shoes with socks and a cap or hat including other essentials. The distance of the walk is approximately 6 kilometers.
More information would be channeled via the group platform.
In early 2016 Rashiwe Bayisayi and myself started to explore walking routes from Brighton to London. It took quite some time and over 100 miles of footpaths, bridleways and byways {all thanks to Ordnance Survey Map APPs}.
It was Rashi's idea to commemorate Zimbabwe's Hero's Day - {Second Monday in August} with something heroic in the UK. And a 100+ km 30 hour Walk seemed to fit that notion. So we set about planning. This was whilst we were a part of Ephraim Tapa's ROHR/Zimbabwe Vigil - which we were funding at that time {another long story!!}.
History and Development
The 2016 Walk proved far too arduous to be completed over the two days - which included an over-night camping experience in Edenbridge, Kent. Since in the morning very few of the exhausted walkers could be roused. Indeed several had to retire with injuries to muscles and giant blisters. {we still feel bad about that to this day}. See the link to some photos of that ROHR Walk - with the ROHR Walk T Shirts {several are still available!! - but the web links on those T Shirts, are now incorrect}. Click for PHOTOS Here - uploaded in 2025 but all originally from 12-13th August 2016}
So Rashiwe and I refocused the Walk for Freedom {we changed the name once ZHRO was Formed in the October 2016} to use a gentler, mostly level route partly using the Downs Link at Henfield, West Sussex and onwards {see Details Here} and the Rivers Wey and Thames Navigation footpaths. It was a little shorter - but most importantly it was achievable! And the 3 ladies who walked the full route in around 30 hours need to be respected. Myself {john Burke} could only manage Brighton to Guildford Railway Station before ther pain from all my blisters beat my desire to walk any further - I was driven home!!
So the new route is Brighton Pier to Devils Dyke, Cross Country to Henfield, to pick up the Downslink. Then stop at Christ's Hospital Railway Station {for those who want to join us there and for those who may want to retire after 40km}. Then onto Guildford Railway Station by nightfall {approx: see schedule being produced shortly} and for those who wish to join us or leave us. Lastly overnight, with a dawn cup of coffee at (what used to be Geno's Café at Walton-on-Thames {now the Wild Brunch, Cowey Sale Walton Lane, Walton-On-Thames, KT12 1QP}, finally onto Hampton Court Railway Station. to end the Walk for Freedom.
So a big hats off to Rashiwe Bayisayi {route leader}, Salom Nkiwane and guest Patience Musasawa who completed our first Walk for Freedom.
We were also in a position to fund a drone video production of the Walk from Brighton to Devil's Dyke and a little beyond. {Click DRONE VIDEO item to play it - please also listen to the musical accompanyment too}
Over the years, and started back around 2015/6 Rashiwe - suggested a Walk for Freedom. Ever since many of us have partaken in an activity, which is free, inspirational {when in the Countryside} and a good, gentle form of exercise. The first step {excuse the pun} is to consult the maps - both online and off-line {paper-maps} to "plan to explore" - in the UK we are very fortunate to have the OS {Ordnance Survey} and an amazing amount of public footpaths and bridleways. More about the UK and its heritage of mapping: The name ORDNANCE SURVEYhints at how it all began. See more history later;
Our first Walk for Freedom {as ZHRO - since we had tried a Walk to London in 2016 as ROHR} was on 21st August 2017. We took some time at the hills above Brighton - at the Public House, called the Devil's Dyke {near the geographic feature of the same name} See our Photo Album CLICK HERE - to open a new Window
Glorious day in the sunshine, and the trip through the Yorkshire Dales, via Barnard Castle was a delight. It was an early start for us all as the trip from Leeds to the 'Walk' itself was 2 hours and 90 miles to the North of Leeds. So we decided to set off around 7:00 AM Saturday morning, of the 20th may 2023. Monica, Qiniso, Knonzanani, and with John diving we did the 'pick-ups' around Leeds then headed for the M1/AI to the North!
It was a bright day, with some early morning mists being burnt off by the Sun. We drove to the famous "Scotch Corner" where the A66 meets the A1, and headed towards the Yorkshire Dales. A lovely drive indeed, and the scenery, as we turned off the A66 just got better with every twist and turn - and there were plenty of those! No road grid layouts in the UK! The breath-taking Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle that we passed, is clearly somewhere to visit at a later date.
Onward via, Middleton-in-Teesdale and Newbiggin and out to the Bowlees Visitor Centre, just West of Newbiggin. They have a great car parking arrangement with simply voluntary donations, rather than a set fee. And its mostly under the shade of trees and next to a babbling brook/stream too! BUT NOTE - get there early {we arrived at 9:30am and had the pick of the parking spots}, but at 1:00 pm with was completely full, with cars parked all the way along the approach roads!
The actual Walk itself was excellent too, although we set off in the wrong direction to start, and had to rectify that with a walk trough some fields (still technically a footpath as indicated on the Ordnance Survey map I was trying to use. PLEASE NOTE: Little of Zero Mobile Signal in the area of the Bowlees Centre! So in future I need paper maps!!
In early 2016 Rashiwe Bayisayi and myself started to explore walking routes from Brighton to London. It took quite some time and over 100 miles of footpaths, bridleways and byways {all thanks to 
Glorious day in the sunshine, and the trip through the Yorkshire Dales, via Barnard Castle was a delight. It was an early start for us all as the trip from Leeds to the 'Walk' itself was 2 hours and 90 miles to the North of Leeds. So we decided to set off around 7:00 AM Saturday morning, of the 20th may 2023. Monica, Qiniso, Knonzanani, and with John diving we did the 'pick-ups' around Leeds then headed for the M1/AI to the North!
