The Soldier

A devotee of the Salvation Army since his early 20’s Ken de Pena, now 82, is the quintessential soldier. Piously devoted to The Salvation Army, Ken currently serves as the receptionist at Salvo youth refuge, Oasis, where his old world philosophy of hard labour and abstinence clashes dramatically with the daily reality of the centre’s wayward teens. At night, Ken can be found in uniform and hat with his little wooden collection box trawling the establishments of the inner city, raising money for the Army’s good work. These days Ken’s march is more of a shuffle, but his dedication to the cause is as fiery as ever.