Teacher Samira is the youngest member of the team. With her smile, she brings positive energy both among her colleagues and her students. She works at a primary school in Sarajevo. She says about herself that she is still a child at heart and does not want to change that. “I enjoy small things, I get excited about little details, I understand impatience, I love their smiles and I am as loud as they are,” she continues.

What Did You Want To Be When You Grew Up?

Besides wanting to become a “teacher when she grows up,” commonly known as a primary school teacher, she also wanted to study her mother tongue and become a language teacher. Her love for working with young children prevailed, but her strong connection to language remained, which she brings into her lessons because she believes that knowing one’s mother tongue at an early age is very important, if not the most important. She continues: “During the pandemic, I had the opportunity to teach online, which I found very interesting because it was a new level of work and connection with children. When I found out about Tako Lako, a light went on for me and that was it. Learning the mother tongue and online teaching is a winning combination for me, and I am happy that I was chosen as a new teacher in this team,” she says enthusiastically.

She is the youngest member of the team. However, that did not stop her from adapting to the work and communication. She wondered how she would manage it all, but with the help of the other teachers it went smoothly. From the very beginning, support and help in every situation, as well as conversations with the team, all contributed to her now feeling like the youngest member of a small family called Tako Lako.

Kids From Everywhere, My Kids

She speaks about her students with special enthusiasm: “I spend time with students from Sweden, Germany, Denmark, France and even as far as America. We get to know each other from different parts of the world and discover interesting things others might not know. Besides the mother tongue, I like talking with them about their education systems, school subjects and holidays, because it is very interesting to me since it differs from the system I studied in and work in.”

She points out that the lessons delivered by the Tako Lako team differ from others because a great deal of effort is invested to ensure everything is organized in detail and that very few situations can get out of control. On the other hand, learning our language in another country is in itself a strong reason why Tako Lako stands out, because it is not just about learning a language, but also about learning about Bosnia and Herzegovina, developing a sense of connection, friendship and everything the children may be missing.

Laughter, Learning And Support For Families In The Diaspora

Besides learning and getting to know Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as meeting peers with similar backgrounds, there is a lot of laughter in class: “Just thinking about it makes me smile. There are situations where I try to pronounce words in ‘their’ languages, which is a sweet challenge for both me and their ears, but they really try to teach me. One situation that comes to mind is when we talked about what we want to be after finishing school and a boy said ‘hacker’, while I heard ‘baker’, so we repeated it several times until we understood each other.”

We understand that families in the diaspora live fast-paced lives and sometimes forget which language to use with their children, and before they know it, the mother tongue is set aside. In conclusion, she says: “Do not worry, we are here to help you as parents. With our joint efforts, us as teachers, you as parents and them as children, we believe you will soon be able to spend time with friends and family in Bosnia and Herzegovina without needing to be a ‘translator’. You are warmly welcome.”

Final thoughts

After this conversation, there is a warm and quiet feeling, like finishing a good chat over coffee and still smiling because of the little things that were said. That is exactly the impression teacher Samira leaves: genuine, sincere and dedicated, but above all, herself.

From her stories, it is clear that lessons are not just plans and programs, but a space where trust is built, where warmth is created and where small everyday situations become lasting memories. Whether it is a misunderstood word or shared laughter, these are the things that give a special charm to everything she does.

And perhaps that is the essence, in those small moments that stay with us and make us look forward to new meetings and conversations.