Carrying the Flame

I am Rayla Allertsen — educator, speaker, mother, and Co-Founder of the I AM S.A.M. Foundation. But before any of those roles, I am the daughter of Merci Melchor — the woman who saved my life and whose love continues to guide everything I do.

The I AM S.A.M. Foundation began because my mother could not bear to remain silent in the face of injustice. When I suffered abuse and could no longer conceal it, she poured her grief and strength into something extraordinary: advocacy, research, art, and education that became tools of transformation. She did not only protect me — she lit a path for countless women and children across the world.

That’s why I say with all my heart: this foundation is her legacy. I am here to carry it forward.

As Co-Founder, I have led the foundation’s evolution from a family mission to a global movement.

We have presented the I AM S.A.M. Protocol to the United Nations and spoken at key global platforms, including:  the UNICEF UK Conference on Rights Respecting Schools (2011), UNICEF Headquarters in New York (2012), the United Nations in New York (2012–2014), andthe United Nations in Geneva (2013).

In 2014, we participated in two official panels during the UN Human Rights Council Session 26:
Safeguarding and Protecting the Human Rights of Children, and Harmful Traditional Practices Based on Religion, Superstition, Tradition, and Culture.

Since then, I have never stopped. From 2014 onward, I have spoken at numerous events both locally and internationally — continuing to raise awareness, share best practices, and advocate for women and children’s rights. Most recently, I was honored to be part of the panel “Bridging Gender Gaps for Women and Girls: Beijing & Beyond” at the UN Commission on the Status of Women Beijing+30, held on March 14, 2025, and telecast live from both New York and Geneva.

We have applied the I AM S.A.M. Protocol to address child marriage and female genital mutilation in parts of the African continent, and we have partnered with schools in the United Kingdom, India, Mexico, Georgia, the United States, Canada, and beyond.

We have digitized the I Can Read Series and expanded outreach through the Be SUPER with Teacher Rayla YouTube channel to help combat learning poverty and fulfill the fundamental right to education, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 26) and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Articles 28 and 29).

While SDG 4: Quality Education calls for inclusive and equitable learning opportunities for all, we remain grounded in a sobering truth:

91% of 10-year-old Filipino children cannot read and understand a simple, age-appropriate text in either English or Filipino (World Bank).

This crisis demands urgent, sustained, and compassionate solutions — and a whole-of-community, even whole-of-country approach. It will take more than a village, and more than a generation, to reverse the damage caused by learning poverty and social neglect.

But we begin where we must — with children, with mothers, with dignity — and with the unshakable belief that transformation is still possible, one empowered life at a time.

That is why we are working to digitize the I AM S.A.M. Protocol and document our best practices — making them accessible, culturally adaptable, and scalable across diverse communities, both locally and globally.

Our goal is not only to respond to global development goals —
but to restore dignity, agency, and joy in every child’s life journey.

My role is not to take credit — but to keep the flame alive.
Every mother we reach, every child who discovers their worth —
it is Merci’s light shining through.

“The world is changed by what we do, not by what we say.” — Rayla Allertsen
“Nothing justifies the abuse of women, mothers, and children. It must stop!” — Merci Melchor

To lead this foundation is not a role.
It is a vow of gratitude, a daily act of remembrance,
and a commitment to multiply the love that built it.

Today, I have the grace-filled honor of leading two legacies of my mother:
the I AM S.A.M. Foundation and the I Can Read Series —
both born of her vision, shaped by her love,
and now carried forward with hope, purpose, and joy.