Liudmyla and Anatolii have worked at Box Elyte since 2022 when, together with their daughter, they were forced to flee their homes due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Today on World Refugee Day, we share their story in this photo essay.
Liudmyla (left) and Anatolii (right) are a Ukrainian couple who sought safety in Romania following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. They both secured a job at Box Elyte, a NESsT Refugee Employment Initiative enterprise, where they have worked for two years.
Cuando empezó la guerra en febrero de 2022, Liudmyla y Anatolii vivían en Ucrania. Un mes después de la invasión, Liudmyla partió en busca de seguridad a Rumanía con su hija adulta, Valeria. Poco después, Anatolii se unió a su esposa e hija.
"Mi hija tiene una amiga en Rumanía. Nos ofreció quedarnos con ella todo el tiempo que quisiéramos. Así que nos fuimos de Ucrania para tomarnos un tiempo para ordenar nuestras ideas y decidir qué hacer a continuación", cuenta Liudmyla.
Huir de Ucrania significaba dejar atrás sus trabajos y sus medios de vida. Para Anatolii, un empleo de 34 años en una fábrica de automóviles, y para Liudmyla, su puesto de recepcionista en una clínica. " No estamos acostumbrados a no trabajar", dice Liudmyla. "Sabíamos que si veníamos a Rumanía, queríamos encontrar trabajo".
Shortly after leaving Ukraine, Liudmyla, Anatolii, and their daughter Valeria, were hired at NESsT Refugee Employment Initiative enterprise Box Elyte.
“My daughter found a job on an online platform. A week later, on March 22, 2022, we arrived in Timisoara and Box Elyte hired us both,” Liudmyla adds.
“I arrived a few weeks later and joined the Box Elyte team. We’ve been working here ever since,” adds Anatolii.
Liudmyla assembles a premium cardboard box to package chocolates and pastries. Box Elyte employees assemble small individual components to complete specific portions of each box. Box Elyte produces a wide range of boxes and packaging, making every day on the assembly line different. Photo credits: Cristian Tzecu
Box Elyte is an enterprise that manufactures premium, eco-friendly cardboard chocolates and pastry boxes.
“In this niche market, we produce small volumes [of boxes] that are tailored to the individual requirements of our customers, who are artisan chocolatiers,” shares Yves Pauwels, General Manager at Box Elyte.
Box Elyte provides dignified jobs to marginalized groups at its production plant in Fibis and Mosnita, close to Timișoara, Romania, where it employs migrants and refugees from Ukraine and Asia, as well as local women from low-income families. In 2024, the company has provided over 100 marginalized people with quality jobs, 95% of whom are women.
“When the war broke out in Ukraine, we saw on television the call to send clothes as support. However, my initial concern was different. I realized that people would soon be fleeing their country. They would need places to stay and jobs to be financially independent. For me, the answer was clear, and we immediately began offering jobs to refugees,” adds Yves.
To reach Ukrainian job-seekers arriving in Romania, Box Elyte publishes its job opportunities on the jobs4ukr.com platform. Launched by Jobful, another enterprise in the NESsT Refugee Employment Initiative, jobs4ukr.com is the region’s largest employment platform for people affected by the war in Ukraine. It was through this platform that Liudmyla, Anatolii, and their daughter were able to connect with Box Elyte and secure employment at the company.
Anatolii prepara cartón para la siguiente fase de la cadena de montaje de cajas, donde trabaja su esposa Liudmyla. Su función es agilizar el proceso de fabricación de cajas. Prepara y procesa los materiales de producción y elimina los restos de producción. Fotos: Cristian Tzecu
Ukrainian and Romanian belong to different language families, making communication for refugees and other non-Romanian speakers challenging. However, given the repetitive nature of box manufacturing, Box Elyte is able to employ refugees and migrants who do not speak Romanian.
To support refugees and their families to integrate into the company and their host country, Box Elyte offers English language classes in addition to other wraparound services, such as accommodation and transportation.
Anatolii afirma : "Lo ideal sería conocer el idioma, pero no nos sentimos aislados ni tenemos ningún problema. En situaciones en las que alguien necesita entender detalles concretos, utiliza un traductor, gestos o palabras sueltas. Aprender el idioma es todo un reto: hay que estudiar e ir a clase. Los jóvenes de aquí estudian y participan activamente en su aprendizaje".
Liudmyla (primera por la derecha) con el jefe de su equipo y sus compañeros, que también abandonaron Ucrania para buscar seguridad en Rumanía. Fotos: Cristian Tzecu
It has been two years since Liudmyla and Anatolii first arrived in Romania and found employment together with their daughter at Box Elyte. When asked what they value most about their jobs, they share:
“Box Elyte is like a family. Sure, people come and go, but its foundation remains strong. Here, we work alongside a team of people we trust, which is essential,” says Anatolii.
"Desde el momento en que llegamos, nos impresionó la hospitalidad. La gente de aquí tiene un corazón muy bondadoso y mostraron mucha empatía con nosotros. Fue conmovedor el calor con el que nos recibieron", añade Liudmyla.
Box Elyte and Jobful are two enterprises in the NESsT Refugee Employment Initiative. The initiative provides financing and business assistance to a cohort of impact-driven enterprises in Poland and Romania that offer refugees long-term employment support, including career training, quality job opportunities, and additional wraparound services. The initiative was launched in 2022 in partnership with IKEA Social Entrepreneurship and Cisco Foundation.