Malmö stad — Språkresan
People leave their home countries for many different reasons. The key to becoming part of a new world is learning the language spoken there. That’s why Komvux SFI exists.
Malmö’s uncrowned falafel king, Youssif, shares the story of his language journey — from everyday life in Lebanon to a new life in Sweden. At the center is SFI, serving as a bridge between the old and the new.
In Arabic, written from right to left.
“I was twelve years old when the war came. From one day to the next, life changed. The whole family had to work together to survive, so my uncle taught me how to make falafel, which I sold on the street. The years passed and I grew up. Got married. Became a father. But the war never ended. We fled to Sweden for the sake of our children.
But the first time here was difficult. I didn’t speak
the language and always needed an interpreter.
Then I heard about SFI.
In Swedish, written from left to right.
My life changed thanks to SFI.
When I arrived in Sweden, I had to start over from scratch. But learning Swedish helped me rebuild my world. It gave me back my independence. Today, I run my own falafel business and get to share my old family recipe with people from all over the world. I wouldn’t have been able to do that without Swedish.
Language is the key to life.”