Story number 2 for 6 Aug 2003

(Liberia)–Elsewhere, about 200 Nigerian peacekeepers were poised to move into Liberian war zones once backup troops arrive. Worldwide Christian Schools’ Dale Dieleman says they’re watching the situation, not only in Monrovia, but also in the port city of Buchanan, because of their school there. “During a lull in the fighting, a few years ago, they asked if we would help to try to repair, not only the facilities, but really help jumpstart the program again in the Buchanan area. Now, of course, we really don’t know what the situation is, whether the school has been completely destroyed, or exactly what’s going on.” Dieleman says they’re working toward being an integral part of the restoration of Liberia’s future. “Could you imagine spending more of your life carrying a weapon, than you did carrying a textbook? We’re really hoping to address when these schools are rehabilitated, so that they can really begin to deprogram some of these children into a life of peace rather than a life of killing.”