The Denzel Sprague Pichey Rangsey School.

Today we visited a school about an hour outside Phnom Penh. The school has a special and very interesting history. 

In 2000, Denzel Sprague (shown above), an Australian, started an airline in Cambodia. As a pilot, he organized his company, shuttling business people and the occasional tourist between Phnom Penh and Taiwan. Then came SARS. No one wanted to travel with such a severe health risk in Asia. The company went belly up. 

The picture above is a hint of where this story is going, but hang on, we're not there yet. Denzel met a businessman who was selling his brick factory in this village where the school sits today. The factory employed five families, none of which sent their kids to school because they couldn't afford the uniforms. 

The solution was simple, Denzel bought the children uniforms and enrolled them in the monastery school. 

When the monks learned of his generosity, they approached him with an offer. Across the street from the monastery sat a rice patty.

The monks offered to donate the property if Denzel would build a new school. He did, with his own funds. The school opened in 2009. 

Today there are 600 children enrolled in this primary school. We have just finished the morning group (it's 10:30 am) but that's what happens when you start soooo early. We saw 280 children. We are hoping the afternoon students can come early. 

An additional success story: when Denzel opened the school he had all the students visit a local medical clinic. 65 percent of them were below the average weight and height of a Cambodian child their age. Denzel deduced that the farm animals which are kept below the raised houses were a source of parasites for the children. The children were treated for the parasites and given vitamins. Today, only 38 percent of the children are below the average height and weight. 

Though we hoped that the school would be able to bring the afternoon students earlier to minimize our down time, as so frequently happens in Cambodia, the 'same old way' won out over our attempt at efficiency.  So we occupied our time playing soccer in the courtyard (full disclosure- only Zach and EY did that), playing charades and just enjoying the very rare breeze. 

Around 1 pm the afternoon students arrived and we returned to our examinations, education, fluoridation, varnish, and treatment where treatment was due. 

Rather than tell you how tired we are, I'll give you our numbers for the day. Our 8 treating dentists, 2 examining dentists and 12 support staff saw 503 patients, did 135 fluorides, 248 varnishes and extracted 250 teeth. Not a record, but definitely a busy day!

Lest I forget, Fifi is quite well. She doesn't  get car sick and therefore chose a seat in her van that offered a great view.