Nicolas Gontard

The parents of the children have never been to school, so you have to educate them as well. The secret danger is that when the kids become eight or nine they will be old enough to help their parents with farming, fishing, or selling, and they'll be pulled out of school.

Well, so far I've been funding the whole thing myself. But the goal is to get sponsors. About 40 euros per child per month will do it.

From the very beginning, Odin Hills was designed to become a residential haven for a community who live and breathe the exclusive Alpine lifestyle.

We wanted to create a place inspired by the storied villages of St Moritz and Gstaad but fully rooted in Japanese culture and aesthetics.

Not only did we see our vision come alive, it is a proud moment to also see its impact recognised by Robb Report.

No, the school and all materials are free. However, the parents have to contribute their time—cooking, gardening, assisting the teachers, etc.—in exchange for their children's attendance.

So when we first began, we started workshops for the families covering health, education, bullying, violence. We brought in nurses, dentists. Very few mothers attended. Then half came. Now all! And the fathers come, too. There is a great sense of pride. I think we're getting to the point where the parents understand what we're trying to achieve and they will not take their children out of school.

As for the kids themselves, we want to make education useful and fun. We teach the usual subjects because we have to comply to certain guidelines, but we also teach them values, teamwork, friendship, gender equality, respect—basically all the things I should have learned in school when I was a kid instead being told who the king of France was in 1432!

WE SEE LIFE THROUGH TINTED GLASSES. AND WE’D LIKE OUR GUESTS TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME...

we believe that it’s the tiny details that make the difference.

From the arrangements made by the team prior to a guest’s arrival, so that they can leave their stress at home, to the check-in – more a warm welcome and a get-to-know-each-other than a pure formality.

High-speed internet with a dedicated router in each room, so you don’t complain about having to share bandwidth with anyone (except your spouse and kids).

Our driver is on-stand by to drive you to the mountain, or drive you back when your legs can hardly carry you.

we haven’t thought of every little thing yet, so we will keep on adding those small perks that will make a guest’s stay even more memorable.

I was a stingy bastard!

there are the local mobile phones we hand over to our guests so that they can contact us anytime. Most of them find that so reassuring.

Once we started I found that my business life was boring, to the point where I said, "What's the meaning of this?" With Espoir, I know what I am doing and why I am doing it. It makes sense. I don't question myself when I wake up in the morning. I know it's for a good cause and I am going in the right direction.

But also when you give money to charity, you never really know where it's going. A lot goes to salaries. Many people don't give for that reason. It's harder to do things yourself but way more satisfying as you get what you want.

After a lot of consideration my wife and I finally chose the Philippines because it is close to Hong Kong, where we live, and also because a large portion of that population speaks English.

So I went to the Ministry of Education there and asked where they needed a school, and they said, "Everywhere!"