Ludmila and Anatolyi 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.
Ludmila (left) and Anatolyi (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.
When the war started in February 2022, Ludmila and Anatolyi were living in Ukraine. One month after the invasion, Ludmila left to seek safety in Romania with her adult daughter, Valeria. Shortly after, Anatolyi joined his wife and daughter.
“My daughter has a friend in Romania. She offered us to stay with her as long as we wanted. So we left Ukraine to take some time to collect our thoughts and decide what to do next,” shares Ludmila.
Fleeing Ukraine meant leaving their jobs and livelihoods behind. For Anatolyi, a job of 34 years at an automobile manufacturing plant, and Ludmila, her position as a clinic receptionist. “We aren’t used to not working,” shares Ludmila. “We knew that if we came to Romania, we wanted to find a job.”
Shortly after leaving Ukraine, Ludmila, Anatolyi, 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,” Ludmila adds.
“I arrived a few weeks later and joined the Box Elyte team. We’ve been working here ever since,” adds Anatolyi.
Ludmila 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 Ludmila, Anatolyi, and their daughter were able to connect with Box Elyte and secure employment at the company.
Anatolyi prepares cardboard for the next stage of the box assembly line, where his wife Ludmila works. His role is to streamline the box manufacturing process. He prepares and processes production materials and disposes of production leftovers. Photo credits: 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.
Anatolyi shares, “Ideally, knowing the language would be great, but we don't feel isolated or have any issues. In situations where someone needs to understand specific details, they use a translator, gestures, or individual words. Learning the language is quite challenging – it requires studying and going to lessons. The young people here study and are actively engaged in learning it.”
Ludmila (first from right) with her team lead and colleagues, who also left Ukraine to seek safety in Romania. Photo credits: Cristian Tzecu
It has been two years since Ludmila and Anatolyi 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 Anatolyi.
“From the moment we arrived, we were struck by the hospitality. The people here are so kind-hearted, and they showed such empathy toward us. It was touching how warmly they welcomed us,” adds Ludmila.
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.