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CNN Live Sunday
Interview With Dan Grudda
Aired September 22, 2002 - 18:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: More than 100 school children from the U.S. and other countries are caught in the middle of a gun battle for a West African town. Government soldiers are trying to retake the town of Bouake on the northern Ivory Coast. Residents began scrambling after rebels attacks three days ago.
Artillery and gunfire near the boarding school where many of the students live has sparked panic. The situation is apparently too dangerous to evacuate the school without a military escort.
And joining us now on the telephone from Bouake, Ivory Coast is Dan Grudda, director of the International Christian Academy where many of these children along with professors and instructors there are hold up.
Good to hear from you, Dan. Can you hear me all right?
DAN GRUDDA, DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY: Yes, I can hear you all right.
WHITFIELD: All right, Dan. So these children are hold up in the school. How are they doing? And these children are what -- children of missionary and diplomatic families from the U.S., France, Great Britain, et cetera?
GRUDDA: Yes, these are children mostly from missionary families. We also have other families that send their children here. This is a boarding school so we have eight dormitories and children are inside the dormitories at this time with the different adults from around camp.
WHITFIELD: And are they all huddled up in the same location within the facility? Can you describe for me about where are they, in order to try and keep everyone safe?
GRUDDA: No, they are not all together in the same building. We have eight dormitories that each will house approximately 30 students, and each dormitory has the students that normally live in that dormitory, with the house parents that live with them, as well as some staff from around campus. We also have a gymnasium, which the students were using this evening after supper to get a little bit of relaxation before they went to bed this evening.
WHITFIELD: You're unable to see it right now, but we're showing videotape of some of these renegade soldiers burning down homes in nearby villages, et cetera. How were you all informed of the violence taking place, and how did it lead up to, you know, day three for you all being holed up there?
GRUDDA: It began for us here on Thursday morning, when vehicles approached our campus, and soldiers with guns headed toward the front gate, so we locked down our campus and waited until they settled themselves into a position. And since that time, we have not allowed people to leave campus. We have been doing normal activities during the day, as we are able. We have had periodic shooting near the school, as well as vehicles going up and down the road with rebel soldiers in them. We can hear from across town different types of automatic weapons fire, and we hear reports of people that have gone into town for various reports -- workers or guards -- and they come back with stories of what had happened. We also have telephone contact with other missionary families and friends that are in town.
WHITFIELD: All right Dan Grudda, best wishes and best of luck to you all at the International Christian Academy, and continued safety there as you all wait for a military escort if you do indeed decide to evacuate that area. Thank you very much for joining us on the telephone.
GRUDDA: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 22, 2002 - 18:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: More than 100 school children from the U.S. and other countries are caught in the middle of a gun battle for a West African town. Government soldiers are trying to retake the town of Bouake on the northern Ivory Coast. Residents began scrambling after rebels attacks three days ago.
Artillery and gunfire near the boarding school where many of the students live has sparked panic. The situation is apparently too dangerous to evacuate the school without a military escort.
And joining us now on the telephone from Bouake, Ivory Coast is Dan Grudda, director of the International Christian Academy where many of these children along with professors and instructors there are hold up.
Good to hear from you, Dan. Can you hear me all right?
DAN GRUDDA, DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY: Yes, I can hear you all right.
WHITFIELD: All right, Dan. So these children are hold up in the school. How are they doing? And these children are what -- children of missionary and diplomatic families from the U.S., France, Great Britain, et cetera?
GRUDDA: Yes, these are children mostly from missionary families. We also have other families that send their children here. This is a boarding school so we have eight dormitories and children are inside the dormitories at this time with the different adults from around camp.
WHITFIELD: And are they all huddled up in the same location within the facility? Can you describe for me about where are they, in order to try and keep everyone safe?
GRUDDA: No, they are not all together in the same building. We have eight dormitories that each will house approximately 30 students, and each dormitory has the students that normally live in that dormitory, with the house parents that live with them, as well as some staff from around campus. We also have a gymnasium, which the students were using this evening after supper to get a little bit of relaxation before they went to bed this evening.
WHITFIELD: You're unable to see it right now, but we're showing videotape of some of these renegade soldiers burning down homes in nearby villages, et cetera. How were you all informed of the violence taking place, and how did it lead up to, you know, day three for you all being holed up there?
GRUDDA: It began for us here on Thursday morning, when vehicles approached our campus, and soldiers with guns headed toward the front gate, so we locked down our campus and waited until they settled themselves into a position. And since that time, we have not allowed people to leave campus. We have been doing normal activities during the day, as we are able. We have had periodic shooting near the school, as well as vehicles going up and down the road with rebel soldiers in them. We can hear from across town different types of automatic weapons fire, and we hear reports of people that have gone into town for various reports -- workers or guards -- and they come back with stories of what had happened. We also have telephone contact with other missionary families and friends that are in town.
WHITFIELD: All right Dan Grudda, best wishes and best of luck to you all at the International Christian Academy, and continued safety there as you all wait for a military escort if you do indeed decide to evacuate that area. Thank you very much for joining us on the telephone.
GRUDDA: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
