Rikker explained that her mother is from Kihnu, while she considers herself a Pärnu native. "My roots are in Kihnu and I do have experience with small islands, but I've been visiting Ruhnu for 20 years. One of my very good friends moved to Ruhnu — she has since left — but you could say that since nature abhors a vacuum, I took over her Estonian‑language teacher position there last year."

She mentioned that she actually met her husband on Ruhnu as well. "For me, it's a magnetic place — not always romantic, perhaps — but all the people who end up there and whom life has brought into my path are so interesting and exciting, and usually those encounters turn into long‑lasting friendships."

"I dare say this is the most wonderful schoolhouse in the entire world," she emphasized, explaining that the school is located in an old parish house built in 1875. "Schooling was offered there from that time on, but in 2016 and 2017 the building was renovated and restored. So it's a slightly Swedish‑style, lovely house. I think it's not only the green and red wooden floors and Swedish wallpapers that make it special — it also has a warm, inviting energy. It's simply a pleasant place to be."

Rikker noted that they currently have the smallest school in Estonia. "Four students are in on‑site instruction and three are in home‑schooling," she said, adding that none of their students were born on Ruhnu. "One is from Tartu County, one from Viljandi County, and two from Pärnu County. The home‑schoolers as well — two from Pärnu County and one from Rapla County. You could say we accept students from all over Estonia."

At the moment, one child in the second grade and three children in the ninth grade attend on‑site classes. "Right now we've arranged it so that a lesson lasts 40 minutes, but very often there's a small break in between and the same subject continues — a longer, more flowing school lesson."

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