"How language, tech open opportunities for refugees", 21 June 2018

Shadi Khaled, a Syrian refugee living in Iraq, teaches Arabic on his computer, calling it his "hope for the future" as a job means money and a chance to educate people about his life. For two years, Khaled has worked at NaTakallam - "we speak" in Arabic - a social enterprise that hires Syrian and Iraqi refugees in places like Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey, where refugees either cannot work or have trouble finding a job. More than 100 refugees have earned money teaching Arabic over Skype to students in locations from the United States to Europe, according to its Lebanese-U.S. founder Aline Sara. Most of the refugees have fled the horrors of the Syrian war and are now displaced, many unable to find substantial work and cut off from their old life, said Sara. For many, her company is a lifeline to the outer world... Khaled said his salary is low, $200-$300 a month, but he is proud to provide something for his family and to teach others...