Once upon a time in Dala
In the land of Burma
In the outskirts of Yangon
In a shanty town
Across the river
Far from the city

There was an old house
Dilapidated and crooked
Filled with mosquitoes and noise
That smelled bad
And sometimes was used
As a school for big and small
And for other things too

In this isolated backwater
Reached by ferry
It was hard for parents
To find work
To occupy their children
And help them grow
In an environment
That would provide a future

One day, some big-hearted nuns
And the Children of the Mekong
Had the idea of giving them
A brand new school