There are few better reasons to dress up, enjoy a splendid evening and raise a glass than knowing that the funds collected will help vulnerable children build a better future.
Last night, Chiang Mai’s exquisite 137 Pillars House Hotel hosted a special fundraising event for Baan Unrak, a remarkable children’s home in Sangkhlaburi, Kanchanaburi province, close to the Myanmar border. Organised by Philanthropy Connections Foundation which is currently helping to fund the home, the evening brought together a sell-out crowd for music, wonderful food, wine, art auctions and plenty of laughter, all focused on raising money for the children.
The hotel’s generosity was extraordinary, with free-flow wine, a lavish international buffet on the lawn and a private concert upstairs. Lanna Commins, a much-loved household name in Northern Thai pop music, entertained the crowd in front of the old teak house—which is also celebrating its 137th birthday this year!—and Jonas Dept, Belgium’s national pianist, treated guests to a special performance.
There were donated artworks to bid for, a fun live auction with yours truly acting as MC and auctioneer and a silent auction featuring an array of generous contributions from the community. Among the most remarkable were nights in a private villa in Koh Samui, donated by Arnaud Béril, general manager of 137 Pillars House himself as well as jewellery donated by Belgium-French designers Boggy & Thol. It was a splendid evening, with the final fundraising total still to be confirmed.
But behind the music, the food and the enthusiastic bidding was a story of compassion, resilience and the importance of helping those who are too often overlooked.
Thirty-six years of giving children a home
Baan Unrak, meaning Home of Joy, has been providing care and sanctuary for vulnerable children since 1990. Founded by Italian-born Donata Dolci, affectionately known as Didi Devamala, it has grown from a small initiative into a community supporting 137 children, many facing poverty, abandonment, domestic violence, exploitation and the effects of conflict.
The home provides much more than shelter. Children receive education, nutritious food, healthcare and emotional support, along with the security and stability they need to grow and imagine a different future. The foundation also supports women and the wider community through initiatives including weaving, sewing and organic farming. There is also a weekly outreach project to visit the most vulnerable and disabled in the area.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Baan Unrak is that 17 members of its staff are former children of the home themselves. They understand its challenges because they have lived them. Their experience brings a profound empathy to their work, as they help the next generation of children find the same security and opportunities that they themselves received.
It is a powerful example of how care can become a cycle of giving, with those who once needed help growing up to provide it to others.
Listening, not dictating
Baan Unrak is supported by Philanthropy Connections, a small Chiang Mai-based foundation founded by Sallo Polak 15 years ago. Its mission is to connect grassroots organisations with international funding and resources they need to make a lasting difference.
In his speech last night, Sallo spoke movingly about the motivation behind his work.
“I wake up every single morning knowing that we are helping children, families, and communities living in severe hardship, poverty, and conflict zones to improve their own situation,” he told guests. He explained that, as he reflected on the sheer depth of the suffering faced by the people they support, emotion had completely overtaken him.
“The long hours and hard work are real, but so is the conviction behind them: We believe that every human being deserves a life of dignity.”
Sallo’s dedication to humanitarian work has also been recognised in the Netherlands, where earlier this month he was awarded the Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau, a royal honour recognising significant service to society. The distinction reflects the impact of his work supporting vulnerable children, families and communities, often in places where poverty and conflict make everyday life extraordinarily difficult.
When he founded Philanthropy Connections, Sallo wanted to create an organisation he would personally trust enough to donate his own money to. Having seen how much could go wrong in the aid sector, he built a foundation around rigorous vetting, financial transparency and a commitment to working with local organisations in support rather than imposing outside solutions.
“First: we listen. We never dictate solutions,” he explained. Local communities know their own challenges and understand what works. Philanthropy Connections aims to empower them, providing the missing resources, whether that means a school, medical care or a scholarship, while allowing local leaders to remain the role models for their own communities.
The foundation deliberately focuses on remote, often forgotten communities, including people living in conflict zones where even its own staff cannot always travel. Three members of its small team have themselves come out of conflict zones in Myanmar, bringing an immediate understanding of the realities faced by the people they seek to help.
Sallo’s philosophy is straightforward: find the communities others overlook, listen to what they need and stay committed.
Philanthropy Connections carefully vets every organisation it supports, conducts thorough due diligence and provides donors with transparent financial reporting and honest progress updates. Baan Unrak is one of its exceptional partners.
“We are here tonight for 137 children at Baan Unrak who have endured unimaginable hardship,” Sallo said. He spoke of their resilience and the devotion of the people caring for them, but also of their continuing need for financial support to stay in school, escape the cycle of poverty and feel safe and loved.
Every donation helps sustain that work.
Citylife’s connection with Philanthropy Connections
Citylife has long believed in supporting organisations making a meaningful difference in our communities. Our involvement with Philanthropy Connections goes back over a decade, with our media support and also includes the 2019 Citylife Garden Fair, when we helped raise over a quarter of a million baht for one of their projects.
More recently, my visit to Baan Unrak, as a recently appointed ambassador for Philanthropy Connections, brought home the importance of its work. The dedication of the staff, particularly those who grew up within the home themselves, is a reminder that effective support is about much more than providing money. It is about helping committed local people continue work they understand better than anyone.
The funds raised last night will help support Baan Unrak’s children and strengthen the foundation itself, ensuring that this remarkable home can continue providing care, education and opportunity.
A night to remember
Our heartfelt thanks go to 137 Pillars House Hotel for its extraordinary generosity, to Arnaud Béril for his remarkable donation, to my friends Lanna Commins and Jonas Dept who gave their time and talent, to the artists and other donors who gave so much and to everyone who bought a ticket or donated and joined us in supporting such a great cause.
The evening was a wonderful demonstration of what can happen when people come together around a shared purpose. There was music, laughter, good food, wine and some very enthusiastic bidding. Every ticket sold, every donated artwork and every auction contribution helped bring us closer to the goal.
We await the final fundraising total with great anticipation. But the real measure of success will be the difference this generosity makes to the 137 children of Baan Unrak.
For 36 years, this home has offered vulnerable children something every child deserves: safety, dignity, love and the chance of a better future.
