Selected
2024 Global Economic Prosperity Challenge

NaTakallam

NaTakallam leverages technology to connect displaced & conflict-affected language teachers and translators with clients worldwide.

Team Leader
Aline Sara
NaTakallam leverages the digital economy to provide income opportunities to conflict-affected and forcibly displaced communities by hiring them as online tutors, teachers, storytellers and interpreters and connecting them to individual and organizational

Solution Pitch

The Problem

Global displacement affects +114 million people, driven by conflicts, disease, and climate change. Refugees face isolation, legal barriers, and exclusion from local economies. With an estimated +150 million to be displaced by 2050, NaTakallam combats these challenges by providing refugees with sustainable income through online language and cultural exchange opportunities.

The Solution

At NaTakallam, we support forcibly displaced and conflict-affected individuals, by hiring them as online tutors, teachers, and translators. This provides stable income, combats social isolation, and restores dignity. Using technology, we connect them with a global audience, bridging economic and societal gaps.

Candidates are matched with learners for language exchange or translation tasks, earning $11 -$70 per session. Our platform supports financial independence, aiming for incomes that match local minimum wages.

We serve individual learners, educational institutions, corporations, and NGOs, offering 1-on-1 language learning in 9+ languages and regional dialects, translation services, and cultural exchanges. All our exchanges are powered by our independent platform, which we are working on turning into an app and continuously improving in terms of UX, UI and AI integrations.

Our model is client-funded, with most earnings supporting our network. We aim to change the narrative around displaced individuals, fostering inclusion in global economies and societies.

Stats

Through NaTakallam, 500+ Language Partners have reached 16,000 users and 300+ organizations and academic institutions


What is the name of your organization?
NaTakallam
What is the name of your solution?
NaTakallam
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
NaTakallam leverages the digital economy to provide income opportunities to conflict-affected and forcibly displaced communities by hiring them as online tutors, teachers, storytellers and interpreters and connecting them to individual and organizational
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
New York, NY
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
United States
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-Profit
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
Global displacement affects +114 million people, driven by conflicts, disease, and climate change. Refugees face isolation, legal barriers, and exclusion from local economies. With an estimated +150 million to be displaced by 2050, NaTakallam combats these challenges by providing refugees with sustainable income through online language and cultural exchange opportunities.
What is your solution?
At NaTakallam, we support forcibly displaced and conflict-affected individuals, by hiring them as online tutors, teachers, and translators. This provides stable income, combats social isolation, and restores dignity. Using technology, we connect them with a global audience, bridging economic and societal gaps. Candidates are matched with learners for language exchange or translation tasks, earning $11 -$70 per session. Our platform supports financial independence, aiming for incomes that match local minimum wages. We serve individual learners, educational institutions, corporations, and NGOs, offering 1-on-1 language learning in 9+ languages and regional dialects, translation services, and cultural exchanges. All our exchanges are powered by our independent platform, which we are working on turning into an app and continuously improving in terms of UX, UI and AI integrations. Our model is client-funded, with most earnings supporting our network. We aim to change the narrative around displaced individuals, fostering inclusion in global economies and societies.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Our work serves two primary audiences: our tutors and translators— displaced and conflict-affected individuals—and our global clients. Through NaTakallam, our tutors gain sustainable income, professional experience, and a rekindled social network. The digital economy provides a vital economic buffer for individuals navigating resettlement/life in vulnerable settings. To date, our programs have enabled our freelancers to generate over $​5 million in income. On the client side, we provide high-quality, curated language services to individual and organizational clients. We have supported over 16,000 learners across 100 countries, fostering global citizenship and cultural exchange. Our partnerships include over 75 universities and 200 K-12 schools and community organizations. Additionally, we provide impactful translation and interpretation services to esteemed partners such as Meta, eBay UK, Twitter, UNHCR, and the OECD.

Organization Type:

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

Headquarters:

New York, United States

Stage:

Scale

Working In:

Global (35+ countries)

Current Full-Time Employees:

14

Website:

www.natakallam.com


Solution Team:
Aline Sara
Aline Sara
C0-founder & CEO