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Refugee Voices

A Look into the Lives of Refugees

Refugees are valuable teachers.

Refugees are better prepared than most of us for the future of work and the challenges of tomorrow – they are already facing them.

Book a Refugee Voices Speaker

REFUGEE VOICES

A Look into the Lives of Refugees

Refugees are valuable teachers. Refugees are better prepared than most of us for the future of work and the challenges of tomorrow – they are already facing them.
Book a Refugee Voices Speaker
  • Bring refugee voices to your organization – every Refugee Voices speaker offers lived experience, cultural insight, and meaningful human connection.
  • Learn from trained refugee and displaced professionals who are skilled language educators, cultural ambassadors, and storytellers.
  • Tailored workshops and language programs – enhance employee engagement, foster global awareness, or provide unique learning experiences for your team or classroom.
  • Interactive cultural immersion and storytelling sessions that inspire, educate, and leave a lasting impact.
  • Transform your workplace or learning space with authentic, personal, and memorable experiences that connect people across cultures.

WHY WORK WITH US

  • Bring refugee voices to your organization – every Refugee Voices speaker offers lived experience, cultural insight, and meaningful human connection.
  • Learn from trained refugee and displaced professionals who are skilled language educators, cultural ambassadors, and storytellers.
  • Tailored workshops and language programs – enhance employee engagement, foster global awareness, or provide unique learning experiences for your team or classroom.
  • Interactive cultural immersion and storytelling sessions that inspire, educate, and leave a lasting impact.
  • Transform your workplace or learning space with authentic, personal, and memorable experiences that connect people across cultures.

Refugee Voices Speakers

Pavel

Home Country: Venezuela
Current Location: Argentina
Native Language: Spanish
Topics: Daily Life, Politics/Current Affairs

Pavel is originally from Valencia, Venezuela, where he studied Modern Languages and Psychology. Due to political conflict and unsafe conditions, he had to leave his degree unfinished and relocate to La Plata, Argentina. Passionate about teaching languages, and sharing his culture, Pavel is a dynamic voice for change in any setting.

Marianela

Home Country: Venezuela
Current Location: Argentina
Native Language: Spanish
Topics: Daily Life, Politics/Current Affairs

Marianela was living in Merida, Venezuela when she decided to move to San Jose, Costa Rica due to conflict and political persecution in her home country. Previously, Marianela taught Spanish and owned an adventure tourism agency. She loves to travel, meet people from different countries, talk and learn about their culture and interests, and is an ecologist and a passionate recycler.

Mona

Home Country: Syria
Current Location: Canada
Native Language: Arabic
Topics: Daily Life, Politics/Current Affairs, Art / Cinema / Music
Mona is a 2016 graduate in Fine Arts from Damascus University. The war in Syria forced her to move to Lebanon after completing her university degree. She is now resettled in Canada, where she works as an Arabic tutor, artist, and performer, while also pursuing a degree in linguistics.

Hadiya

Home Country: Syria
Current Location: Netherlands
Native Language: Arabic
Topics: Daily Life, Art / Cinema / Music

Hadiya, in her thirties and originally from Qamishli, Syria, is now living in the Netherlands with her two children after a challenging journey marked by conflict and displacement. Due to the invasion of her town by the Islamic State, Hadiya and her family fled to Erbil, Iraq, where they spent several years in a refugee camp, hoping to resettle in Europe or the Americas. When these plans fell through, her husband decided to make the journey alone to the Netherlands. After a three-month journey, he successfully claimed asylum and filed for family reunification. Hadiya and her children were later able to join him.

Ataa

Home Country: Syria
Current Location: Jordan
Native Language: Arabic
Topics: Daily Life, Art / Cinema / Music

Ataa is in her early thirties and originally comes from Elma, a small town in Damascus, Syria. Back in her home country, she studied English Literature and French. She was directly affected by the conflict in Syria and had to leave her home country in 2013 in order to receive urgent medical care. She came to Mafrak, Jordan, and she is currently in the Zaatari refugee camp with her four children while her husband has returned to Syria. She is passionate about traveling, reading romance novels and science fiction books, and she likes to discuss arts, music, and literature with her students!

GET STARTED

How It Works

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Choose Your Event Cadence

  • Annual, quarterly, or one-time session
  • Team-building events or organizational milestone sessions

Choose Your Setup

  • Fully Remote – we present entirely online
  • Hybrid – we present virtually while your team gathers in person

Connect With Us

  • Share your goals and schedule your session
  • We’ll tailor the experience to your team or classroom
  • Annual, quarterly, or one-time session
  • Team-building events or organizational milestone sessions
  • Fully Remote – we present entirely online
  • Hybrid – we present virtually while your team gathers in person
  • Share your goals and schedule your session
  • We’ll tailor the experience to your team or classroom
Book a Refugee Voices Speaker

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Invite Our Co-Founder, Aline Sara, to Your Event

From a simple idea in 2015 to a global social enterprise, Aline Sara shares how NaTakallam is reimagining humanitarian aid through language, dignity, and the digital economy.
Topics include:
  • Social entrepreneurship & impact-driven startups
  • Forced migration & sustainable solutions
  • The future of work in the digital economy
  • Women’s leadership & mission-driven innovation
Aline has spoken at events including TechCrunch, the World Bank, and Falling Walls.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ALINE

“NaTakallam was born from the belief that refugees aren’t just in need — they have skills the world wants to learn from.”

TESTIMONIALS

Clients

"I deeply appreciated the personal stories, resilience, and perspectives shared in these sessions. The insights into displacement from different regions and contexts were powerful for students and me alike. However, technical issues and occasional language barriers impacted the experience. With improved technical support, these sessions have the potential to be even more impactful."
Belén Cuadrado Ortiz
Belén Cuadrado OrtizSpanish Committee for UNHCR
"Our session connected students across five City University of New York campuses, four campuses in the Middle East, and our Refugee Speaker, Mona. Her story of Syria's challenges over the last 12 years deeply resonated, encouraging students to think globally and reflect on their role in promoting peace. Providing students a safe space to share their own displacement stories would be a great addition to future sessions."
Emma Handte
Emma HandteLaGuardia Community College
"The panel discussions between different generations of refugees were insightful, and Aziz Hazizi’s storytelling captivated the audience. Despite technical challenges that affected audio quality, his ability to share his journey and answer audience questions was excellent. Enhancing the technical setup and increasing interactivity could further enrich these sessions."
Samuel Sebastian
Samuel SebastianSpanish Committee for UNHCR
"From a teacher-preparation perspective, offering sessions on supporting refugee youth in K-12 schools—featuring speakers who experienced displacement before age 18—would be valuable. The session’s personal stories and interaction with the language partner were impactful. Sending questions in advance made the session more engaging. Overall, it was very well-structured and relevant."
Raquel Saenz
Raquel SaenzSouthwestern University
"From a teacher-preparation perspective, offering sessions on supporting refugee youth in K-12 schools—featuring speakers who experienced displacement before age 18—would be valuable. The session’s personal stories and interaction with the language partner were impactful. Sending questions in advance made the session more engaging. Overall, it was very well-structured and relevant."
David Warren
David WarrenWashington University in St. Louis, USA

Get Started

Whether you’re seeking translation support, training for your
team, or a complement to your curriculum, we’re here to help.


Contact us for a consultation or quote today.

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Name: Mona
Language: Arabic (Levantine Dialects & Modern Standard Arabic)
Origin: Syria
Current Location: Canada
Focus Topics: Arts & Performance, Gender
“Art is the ultimate truth, the enduring form of life against death. It stands as a connection against alienation, a means to express and resist.”
Mona Almerstani is a Syrian artist and Arabic language educator based in Montreal. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with a specialization in oil painting. After relocating to Lebanon due to the war in Syria, Mona began her teaching journey with NaTakallam in 2017, where she has since worked as an Arabic tutor, cultural advocate, and contributor to various design and performance projects.

In 2018, she moved to Canada, where she quickly became active in Montreal’s vibrant cultural scene, participating in numerous community events and intercultural gatherings. Currently, she is pursuing a degree in Linguistics at Concordia University, where her passion for language, culture, and communication continues to grow. Mona brings a rich cross-cultural perspective to her teaching, rooted in personal experience, artistic expression, and a deep commitment to cultural exchange.
Book a Refugee Voices Session

Name: Pavel
Language: Spanish
Origin: Venezuela
Current Location: Argentina
Focus Topics: Politics & Human Rights

“It’s about living, not just surviving.”
For Pavel – originally from Valencia in Venezuela – this belief became the driving force behind his decade-long journey to a better life. Political turmoil, economic instability, and daily injustices forced him to flee home – pausing his studies in Modern Languages and Psychology – and relocate to La Plata, Argentina. Now happily married and living in safety, Pavel says he’s a completely different person – one who values life’s small joys and no longer feels the need to run. Since joining NaTakallam, he’s brought his passion for languages and his friendly teaching style to learners around the world. In his free time, Pavel enjoys horror movies, video games, playing the guitar, and above all, connecting with others. “Step by step, I’m getting closer to the life I dreamed of – and I’m grateful for every part of the journey.
Book a Refugee Voices Session

Name: Hadiya
Language: Arabic (Levantine Dialects & Modern Standard Arabic) & Kurdish (Kurmanji)
Origin: Syria
Current Location: Netherlands
Focus Topics: Gender, Politics & Human rights

“Never give up.”
With this motto, Hadiya has faced war, illness, and displacement with remarkable strength. Originally from Qamishli, Syria, she gave birth at the onset of the Syrian civil war and soon after had to flee to Iraqi Kurdistan for life-saving cancer treatment, leaving her newborn daughter behind. Diagnosed with leukemia, she spent over a year in and out of hospitals before reuniting with her child. Life in a refugee camp followed, but Hadiya remained hopeful, volunteering to support others with similar struggles. After years of uncertainty, her husband reached the Netherlands and the family was eventually reunited. Now based in the Netherlands with her two children, Hadiya draws on her past as a social worker and her degree in English Literature to teach with compassion and purpose. She brings her love of reading, basketball, and zumba, and her incredible resilience, to every conversation.
Book a Refugee Voices Session

Name: Marianela
Language: Spanish
Origin: Venezuela
Current Location: Argentina
Focus Topic: Gender

“It’s a great feeling to feel part of a community like NaTakallam. It is a sense of belonging and the security of a good job that I really like and am proud of.”
Marianela, originally from Venezuela, is a former adventure tourism entrepreneur. She fled Venezuela due to conflict, seeking safety in Costa Rica, but faced further unexpected challenges, including rejection and age discrimination. “Living in another country, not by choice but by force, brings anger, helplessness, and loneliness,” she shares. Still, Marianela never gave up. She’s proud to have raised a daughter on her own, traveled widely, and recently fulfilled another dream—working as a remote interpreter for migrants. Now based in Buenos Aires, she brings warmth, cultural curiosity, and her passion for ecology and recycling to every class. Her life is a testament to strength, dignity, and the power of starting over.
Book a Refugee Voices Session
Lucy

Lucy Davis

Communications, PR & Development Officer

Background In: Political Science and Advocacy

Languages Spoken: English, French, Spanish, and some Arabic

Based In: France and the US

Loves: Cooking, doing puzzles, and traveling to new places.