From Iran to Turlock, from survival to service — how one woman’s courage, kindness, and lifelong love of learning found a home in our Village.
Introduction: A Grandmother You Meet Once and Never Forget
When I visited Nektar at her home for Armenian-Turkish coffee, I felt as though I’d stepped into a small enchanted world. Her front yard is a fairytale garden — fruit trees, squash vines climbing in spirals, small winding paths that invite wandering. Inside, her home is warm and overflowing with handmade beauty: embroidered table runners, crocheted blankets, the smell of strong coffee, the kind of coziness that tells you how deeply someone loves the space they’ve built.
In a world that often feels disconnected and hurried, Nektar has the kind of wise, grandmotherly presence so many of us didn’t even know we were missing. But her quiet warmth is only the beginning of a much larger story.
Her Life in Iran: A Story of Danger, Faith, and Determination
Years ago, Nektar and her family made the heartbreaking decision to leave their home country of Iran. As religious oppression intensified, the dangers grew too great. Their safety, their freedom, and their daughter’s future were at risk. Leaving meant stepping into total uncertainty — but staying meant grave danger.
They fled, spent months in Austria, and eventually arrived in the United States as refugees. Everything familiar was gone. But what remained was courage, faith, and hope for a safer life.
What She Brought With Her: A Love of Learning Above All
When families flee their home, they bring what is most precious. Some carry clothing, heirlooms, or childhood possessions.
Nektar sent her books.
Education was — and remains — her treasure. With degrees in mathematics and literature and years of teaching experience, she believed wholeheartedly that learning is the path to dignity, stability, and a bright future.
That belief shaped her daughter’s life as well; through years of sacrifice and perseverance, their daughter is now a dentist — a living testament to her parents’ devotion to education.
Her Life in Turlock: Hard Work, Exhaustion, and Quiet Generosity
Today, Nektar pours her energy into caring for others. She runs a home-based daycare. She caters. She tutors math. She works tirelessly, often beyond what seems possible.
And still — she gives.
Of the three students she tutors, only one pays her. The others she teaches out of pure generosity, wanting to help families who couldn’t otherwise afford support. She has donated hundreds of hours to children who would have slipped through the cracks without her.
This is a woman who serves from the heart, who believes in lifting others up, even when she herself is worn thin.
The Spark: Her Long-Dreamed-of Cooking Classes
When I mentioned the huge wave of interest we’d received for children’s cooking classes, something in Nektar lit up. She shared that she had dreamed — for years — of teaching cooking to kids, teens, and adults. She showed me textbooks she’s collected, lesson plans she’s drafted, and even pointed out a room she always imagined becoming a little classroom.
In that moment, her dream aligned perfectly with what families in our city are longing for.
And it felt like the Village was doing exactly what it was created to do: uncover the gifts already here among us and help them find the children who need them.
Why Her Story Matters to the Village
Nektar is the Village in human form.
She is what happens when resilience meets kindness, when expertise meets generosity, when a lifetime of gifts finally finds a place to be shared.
There are so many people like her in our city — people with talents, wisdom, creativity, and heart — who simply need a connection to the families who would treasure what they offer. People who have been isolated, or overlooked, or unsure where to begin.
We’re building the bridge that brings them together.
Invitation to the Community
This is why Little Village exists:
So no one with gifts to share has to shout into the wind anymore.
So our neighbors with talent and heart can find purpose, connection, and belonging.
So our kids can learn from people who love them, believe in them, and pour themselves into their future.
We’ll be announcing Nektar’s upcoming classes soon.
For now, please help me welcome her — with gratitude, with warmth, and with the honor she deserves — as the newest teacher in our growing Village.
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