Testimonials
His Holiness Pope Francis
Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church
Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu,
O.M.S.G., D.D., F.K.C.
Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town Nobel Peace Laureate (1984)
The late Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu, one of humanity’s most respected moral voices and a lifelong advocate for peace and human rights, sent his message of support to the I AM S.A.M. Foundation, Philippines, affirming the organization’s mission to uphold the dignity and rights of every child.
In his letter, Archbishop Tutu wrote:
“Rights, by their very nature, should be ours to claim. As children and young people, you have learned what these rights are through this exhibition… We are all God’s children, sisters and brothers, one family together… I hope you will help to make this world a more compassionate, caring place, where all young people can walk tall and reach for the stars.”
The Archbishop’s message continues to inspire the Foundation’s work in rights-based education and child empowerment. His foreword in the book For Every Child—a beautifully illustrated edition of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) compiled by Caroline Castle—has also become a cornerstone reference for I AM S.A.M.’s Speech Choir Contests held during National Children’s Month in the Philippines.
This alignment between the Archbishop’s words, the UN CRC, and the Foundation’s advocacy reflects a shared vision:
“Every child is special, unique, and precious—and deserves to live free from fear, with love, dignity, and hope.”
Vanessa Tobin
UNICEF Country Representative
(2007-2011)
“I hope there will be more organizations like I AM SAM that will lead us in the endeavor to ensure that every child will experience quality life in not so distant future until we reach the finish line.”
Eminence Ramon Arguelles
Archbishop of Lipa
Ella King Russell Torrey
Eleanor Roosevelt’s Public Information Officer and United Nations Human Rights Hero
The first Chairperson of the UN Human Rights Commission was instrumental in getting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights drafted and adopted. In fact, Ella Torrey, the public information officer for Eleanor Roosevelt, a human rights activist and a recipient of the United Nations Human Rights Hero Award, said, “The I AM S.A.M. Protocol is at once personal as it is universal.”
Wayne Jacoby
Founder, Global Education Motivators (GEM)
“Teacher Sam and the I AM S.A.M. Foundation is making its mark in helping and protecting the world’s children. I have seen you expand from the Philippines, Canada, China the US and Taiwan. The rest of the world awaits your arrival.”