Frequently Asked Questions

Shama is a language learning and cultural exchange platform, and Ethiopia's first refugee-owned social enterprise. We connect learners with tutors, most of whom are refugees themselves, for flexible, practical language sessions that go beyond grammar and vocabulary drills. Learning with us also means supporting dignified livelihoods for the people teaching you.

We work in 7 core languages: Arabic, Amharic, Tigrinya, Somali, Swahili, French, and English. Additional languages can be arranged through our professional network, subject to availability. The list may change as we grow, so please check the website for the latest updates.

Yes. Every new student can book a free trial session before paying for anything. It's a real session with your actual tutor, not a demo, so you can test the connection, see how they teach, and ask any questions you have. If it's a good fit, you can choose a bundle afterward. If it's not, you can try a different tutor, still for free.

The process is simple: create your profile and share your learning goals, book a free trial session with a tutor at no cost, and if you're ready to continue, choose a bundle and complete payment, with the same tutor or a different one.

Our tutors come from different backgrounds and include experienced language teachers, native and fluent speakers, and community-based tutors, many of them refugees teaching the language and culture they grew up in. Every tutor is selected for their communication skills, teaching ability, and reliability, so you're learning from someone who meets our standards, not just anyone available.

Our sessions are primarily online. This gives learners more flexibility and makes it easier to study from anywhere. If we offer in-person sessions in the future, we will clearly announce them on the website.

Yes. You can select a tutor when booking, and if you try a session and it's not the right fit, you can switch to a different tutor for free, at any time. No questions asked. We want you learning from someone you actually connect with, not stuck with a mismatch.

Session length is one hour.

Yes. You can book, reschedule, or cancel a session directly from your dashboard, as long as it's at least 12 hours before the session is set to start. If a session is missed or changed after that 12-hour window, it's deducted from your bundle and counted as taken.

Bundles are session packages, including a free trial option, that let you book multiple lessons in advance, at better value than booking one at a time. You can view current bundle options and pricing on the booking page.

Your first session is always free. That's what the trial is for. After that, yes, bundles are paid upfront before those sessions begin. But we don't just hand that payment straight to your tutor: Shama holds it and releases it as your sessions are actually delivered, so there's real accountability built into how the money moves, not just a policy on a page.

Three things: you try before you pay anything, with a free trial session. We hold your payment and release it as sessions are delivered, rather than handing it all to your tutor upfront. And you can switch tutors for free, at any time, if something's not working. You're never stuck, and there's real accountability built into how this works, not just our word for it.

We accept the payment methods listed on the website at the time of booking. If you face any issues during payment, you can contact our support team for assistance.

No. Shama is open to anyone who wants to learn a language, improve communication, or connect through culture. We welcome learners of different ages, backgrounds, and goals.

Shama combines language learning with cultural exchange, and a mission most language platforms don't have. We're Ethiopia's first refugee-owned social enterprise, and most of our tutors are refugees teaching the language and culture they grew up in. On top of that, every student gets a free trial before paying, the choice to switch tutors anytime at no cost, and payment that's held and released as sessions happen, not handed over all at once. Learning here supports someone's livelihood, not just your fluency.

Yes. Beyond individual tutoring, our Research & Language Access (R&LA) service supports organizations (NGOs, researchers, and institutions) with interpretation, translation, and multilingual fieldwork support in the languages we teach. We also welcome partnerships in education, cultural exchange, community engagement, youth empowerment, and refugee inclusion more broadly. Contact us to explore what that could look like. (Looking for team language training instead? See the next question.)

Yes. Our Enterprise bundles are built for teams, with training sponsored by the employer rather than paid individually. If you're looking to set up language training for your organization, contact us, and we'll put together a plan around what your team needs.

You can reach us through the contact form on the website, by email, or by chatting with us directly through the chat option on the site. Our team will respond as soon as possible.

Yes. If you face any problem while registering, booking, or making a payment, please reach out to us, and we will guide you.