These days, there is a new kind of war being waged in one Colombian city, but unlike the violent battles between the government and narco-traffickers for control, this fight involves a priest who uses knowledge to aid Colombia’s children.

As the drug wars continue and become more violent, they are beginning to spill over to new cities where the government and drug traffickers, alike, battle for power of these strategic zones. One such place is the seaport town of Buenaventura on the west coast. It is home to the neighborhood El Lleras, which is one of the most dangerous and poorest slums in that part of the country. The situation has left El Lleras with a more than 70 per cent unemployment rate, which has led youths in the town to get into the drug trade for quick, big money.

But one local priest named Father Ariel Ruiz has something to say about this. For the last few years, the father has taken an active stance in the community, setting up programs like his “Exchange a Bullet for a Book” project, aimed at educating the children of El Lleras with the hope of broadening their future opportunities. Additionally, Father Ruiz has opened the parish’s community center to the whole neighborhood, which has several computers with internet access and a library of books.

Still, the father continues with his practices, despite the fact that two priests from his order, the Redemptorists, who participated in similar initiatives, were murdered in another part of Colombia for “unknown” reasons. When asked about the dangers, he responded, “It is a tense situation and we have to be careful,” he added later that the church deliberately chose to involve itself with the people to educate them of their rights.