How Taaly helps refugees learn Dutch, build community, and find jobs

With 12,000 users and growing, this impact organisation is using AI and community coaching to reshape integration in the Netherlands.

Moving to a new country can be overwhelming, especially when you don’t speak the language. For the 400,000+ expats, migrants, and newcomers settling in the Netherlands each year, learning Dutch is often the first -and hardest- step toward feeling at home, building relationships, and finding a job.

That’s where Taaly comes in.

Taaly is a mobile application assisting migrants and refugees to integrate into the Dutch society by connecting them with native speakers through video calls for guided language practice and AI-driven language tutors.

Born from personal experience and powered by AI and human connection, this fast-growing social enterprise is making integration faster, friendlier, and far more accessible. With over 12,000 users and partnerships across Dutch municipalities, Taaly is creating a new model for social inclusion, one conversation at a time.

We spoke with Shadi Alhakimi and Waleed Al-Qaefi, Taaly’s co-founders, about how their platform works, what they’ve learned, and why now is the right time to invest in language, community, and belonging.

The personal story behind Taaly: Refugees turned founders are reshaping language learning

Shadi:

When I arrived in the Netherlands as a war refugee from Yemen eleven years ago, learning Dutch was a huge challenge. It took me four and a half years to become fluent. That personal struggle planted the seed for Taaly. Taaly is a social enterprise with a mission to solve the language barrier problem. Our platform helps others overcome language barriers faster and more effectively. Worldwide, there are 280 million people who struggle to learn the language of their host country. Today, we’ve already helped 12,000 people in the Netherlands practice Dutch and take part in their new communities.

Waleed:

As an expat who moved here five years ago, I realised how crucial language is to integration. But while there are many ways to learn grammar and vocabulary, actual practice is often the missing piece. That’s where Taaly comes in: we make practicing language easy, accessible, and human-centered.

Why practicing Dutch is harder than learning it, and how Taaly makes it easy and collaborative

Shadi:

Taaly combines community coaching and AI-powered learning. Learners connect with native speakers or trained coaches for 30-minute practice sessions that simulate real conversations. We also use AI to ensure that learners always have access to practice, even when human coaches aren’t available.

Waleed:

One of our innovations was adding AI coaches to ensure continuity. We also realized that keeping human coaches engaged required more than just asking for their time. We introduced recognition systems, rewards, and even language exchange opportunities to make the experience more rewarding for them.

The biggest challenges during their journey

Shadi:

Our biggest challenge was funding. Many migrants and refugees can’t afford traditional language courses. So we had to look for sponsors, from government programs to corporate partners who want to support integration and social cohesion.

Waleed:

For me, it was keeping native-speaking coaches involved. Their motivation can vary. Through research, we discovered how to better engage them, and we’re always looking for more!

🟢 If you’d like to help expats break language barriers, you can join Taaly as a coach and be part of this mission.

What social entrepreneurship taught them about impact, funding, and growth

Shadi:

Social entrepreneurship is all about impact, but impact is hard to measure. We had to learn how to isolate our outcomes and show how Taaly specifically helps people. It’s about more than growth; it’s about proving we’re making a real difference.

Waleed:

I’ve learned to focus on human needs, not just clever ideas. The more deeply you listen to the people you’re trying to help, the more meaningful your solution becomes.

12,000 users and counting: The real-world impact of Taaly’s language platform

Shadi:

Since launching, we’ve delivered over 15,000 language practice sessions, each about 30 minutes long. That’s over 7,500 hours of human connection and learning. And we’re just getting started.

Waleed:

More than 12,000 learners have used Taaly, and we regularly hear stories from learners who share how it’s transformed their lives. Some users have even found jobs thanks to improved speaking skills and confidence through our platform.

Scaling across Europe and beyond

Waleed:

Since launching in late 2023, we’ve partnered with 4 municipalities and 8 organizations, generating around $60,000 in revenue. We’re in talks with more municipalities, and we’re currently raising $1M in seed funding to sustain our growth and expand impact. 

Shadi:

We’re also discovering that Taaly works outside the Netherlands. We’re now preparing to scale into markets like Saudi Arabia, Malta, the UK, and Belgium.

How Social Tides helped Taaly unlock AI innovation and international expansion

Shadi:

I find the whole Social Tides program really beneficial. Starting from the online sessions with the experts, the mentorship, and also interactions with other teams, all were really fruitful for Taaly. A lot of ideas came to light, and we even started implementing a couple of them. Since the start of the program, we managed to get into the Attraction program in Saudi Arabia. We also discovered that Taaly can be suitable for Malta, the UK and Belgium. I am looking forward to the next module of Social Tides, where we will focus more on the AI and the technical part of our product. 

Waleed:

So far, Social Tides has helped open our eyes to effectively benefit from the use of AI across our business. The workshops were packed with insights, and the in-person events in Paris helped us connect with other entrepreneurs facing similar challenges. It has connected us with great mentors and fellow entrepreneurs, learning so much from both, technically and strategically.

What’s next for Taaly?

Shadi:

In July, we’re launching a new B2C version of the Taaly app that will enable anyone, not just migrants, to learn a language the Taaly way: fast, immersive, and effective. After this launch, we hope to scale in 4 different markets, Malta, the UK, Belgium and Saudi Arabia, while of course remaining in our starting market, the Netherlands.

Waleed:

We’re planning the launch of Taaly 2.0 in July 2025, which has big improvements in the core features, user experience, AI coaching, and community interaction. 

We want to keep exploring expansion opportunities, such as Malta and Saudi Arabia and to keep helping people turn language into opportunity.

Want to Get Involved?

🌍 Are you an expat struggling with Dutch? Download the Taaly app and start your language journey today!

🗣️ A native speaker looking to give back? Become a language buddy and make a difference by building a more connected, inclusive world.

💼 Organization interested in social impact? Reach out - the team would love to talk about partnerships and support.