HUBERT KAYONDA from Democratic Republic of Congo. Hubert was born in 1966 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, close to the capital, Kinshasa.

His father was a headteacher and Christian pastor, and the family moved around the country from village to village, as his father's career took him from one school to the next.

At the age of 19 he went to university to study biology and chemistry and then worked as a biochemist.

"When I was young, I didn't have an ambition to become a pastor. But in 1984 I was born again', and I started to preach, to share the gospel and I decided to serve God," he said.

In the political climate of the time, church activities carried some dangers. The country had been under military rule, presided over by General Mobutu, since shortly after independence in 1960.

"Church ministers would run into conflict with the government. There were many arrests - including people from my congregation."

In 1996, Hubert founded a human rights organisation - to people in the DRC and assist detainees.

"I had many conflicts with the government and was arrested many times. You'd be put in cells; sometimes in official prisons', sometimes unofficial', where you can't receive visitors or solicitors - even your wife doesn't know where you are.

"They'd destroy your home, and interrogate you, using violence, torture, asking why you said what you said - accuse you of wanting to change the power'."

Between 1998 and 2002, Hubert was arrested four times. His life was in danger. People close to him have been killed - including his brother, killed last year while working on a United Nations assignment to persuade the rebel armies to lay down their arms. Hubert decided to leave the DRC to save his life.

"I'd no plan to come to England, but people helped me to leave and they brought me here. You go where you end up," he said. "I arrived in London in 2002 and claimed asylum. I was sent to Bolton to wait for the decision."

His wife and two of his children have since joined him. Through the internet, he retains links with the rest of his family in the DRC and with the human rights organisation.

In April 2003, Hubert founded a French African Church in Bolton. It meets at the Victoria Hall and the congregation has origins in a range of countries - the Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Angola, Tanzania and Liberia.

"Bolton is like a family to me. It's my home now. I can't return to the DRC yet. I'd want to, if the situation changed. I want to go back to help my country, but for now I help my community here."