FIRETREE

 

Several years ago, on a hot April day, Dick and I sat along the river in Siem Reap, sipping a beer after a long day of work with our partners at AHC. All around us there were kids playing and dozens of firetrees in blossom. Firetrees, also known as Flame trees, are typical all-around Southeast Asia and often grow in school courtyards and along roads and rivers in towns, countryside and forests. 

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Discussing about the future our work, Dick and I had two two equally important priorities: ensuring that the education work done in Thailand by Starfish Education would continue long-term and be financially secure through a dedicated endowment and that the ability to support social purpose organizations in Southeast Asia would become even stronger through a dedicated foundation. This is how Firetree Asia Foundation was born.​

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When we dissolved the Richard P. Haugland Foundation and Firetree Asia Foundation and I decided to relocate all our assets to Asia,  I went back to that day with Dick in Siem Reap. That had been a great day and I am fond of that memory and so it was only natural to create the Firetree Group.

 

The Group will combine all we do as partnership funders, education innovation advocates and through other initiatives and our connecting and sharing work.

 

​Needless to say, every time I a back in Siem Reap I make sure to have a beer along the same river. There will be firetrees and, as always, Dick will be there too.

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Francesco