Journey of support: Engaging employers in empowering Romanian and Ukrainian women

The current economic situation in Romania poses significant challenges, with the most vulnerable individuals teetering on the brink of securing suitable employment. Women, in particular, encounter challenges due to a scarcity of support services. In August 2023, Save the Children, Jobs for Ukraine and Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, along with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) launched „Child Care And Job Matching Support For Displaced Ukrainians and Vulnerable Host Communities in Romania“, a program designed to help displaced Ukrainian and vulnerable Romanian parents and their children by providing access to job matching support and free childcare services.

The private sector plays a crucial role in the success of this project, by providing employment and learning opportunities to families and individuals from vulnerable backgrounds for better livelihoods.

Empowering Vulnerable Communities 

This program is designed to assist the most vulnerable parents from Romania and Ukraine. „Participants in the program are given the opportunity to enhance their economic prospects and employability through job search assistance, skills development and childcare support”, stated  Ioana Gorganeanu, Vice President, Area Marketing from the Mastercard.

“However, the program offers much more than just counseling and premises. It’s about bolstering the confidence of vulnerable parents, providing them with the means to achieve financial independence, and enabling their integration into society. This aspect holds paramount importance for us, and it’s the reason we extend our support to both the Ukrainian and Romanian communities. Together, we can forge a stronger, more resilient society.“

The project identifies opportunities and aligns interested employers with carefully selected, trained, and supported applicants, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of expectations and the ability to showcase the right skills.

Read more about

White Image and Save the Children warn that a child under age of one dies every 9 hours

read more

To date 250 beneficiaries have been supported through the program. In total, 500 vulnerable adults of working age from Romania and Ukraine will gain skills, knowledge, and resources needed for job attainment throughout the project.

Calling Employers to Join the Cause

“We invite employers to join us in our mission to empower vulnerable communities in Romania and Ukraine. You can register and post available vacancies for free via webpage  Your partnership will enable us to provide integrated childcare and employment services, assisting families and individuals from vulnerable backgrounds in finding jobs and securing better livelihoods. If you are an employer looking to hire or offer other economic opportunities to parents in vulnerable contexts, please contact us. As we aim to connect the right candidates with employers, we also strive to address other employment barriers beyond childcare, such as language barriers, lack of technical skills, and more. By joining forces, we can make a tangible difference in the lives of those in need and contribute to the sustainable growth of our communities”, says Roxana Popa, President of Project Voyager (Jobs for Ukraine).

“We are grateful for our partners who have already committed to our project and have hired vulnerable parents from Ukraine and Romania, including Sphera Group (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell), Concentrix + Webhelp, LC Waikiki, Genpact, City Grill, JW MARRIOTT Bucharest Grand Hotel, and two other major retailers. We also want to thank the 2000+ employers that posted opportunities on our dedicated webpage  At Project Voyager, we also hired a mother from the program, and she has proven to be a valuable addition to our team. Our community brings a wealth of experience in Sales & Retail, Education & Childcare, Hospitality, Customer Service, Wellness & Beauty, and more.”

A new day care center was inaugurated in Bucharest

As part of their ongoing support for women from Romania and Ukraine, on 17 April 2024, Save the Children, Project Voyager (Jobs for Ukraine), and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth opened a daycare center in order to provide a safe environment where mothers can entrust their children to skilled professionals while they focus on their job search or participate in work-related activities. This initiative underscores the commitment to empowering vulnerable groups, and women in particular, while fostering inclusive growth within the community.

„We anticipate that the center will serve as a focal point where women can connect, share experiences, and support each other. By fostering a sense of unity, we aim to empower these women to navigate the challenges of both motherhood and job seeking. We aim to support the vulnerable local communities – and also the Ukrainians, who seek the safe space in Romania after the Russian aggression in 2022“, says Gabriela Alexandrescu, Executive President, from Save the Children. „Our concern for the situation of children who migrate during the war from Ukraine to Romania operates on multiple levels, because the well-being of these children also depends on how their mothers, with whom they arrive in our country, are socio-economically integrated. In this regard, in addition to the humanitarian intervention component, which is so necessary at the beginning of the humanitarian crisis, we came with other components regarding the educational inclusion of the children and also the socio-economic insertion of their mothers.”

Building Resilience: Uniting for a Stronger Society

“Our collaboration with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth exemplifies how partnerships between the public and private sectors can nurture economic growth and inclusion, and foster impact within communities and across geographies”, said EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will provide funding to support language and vocational training for the parents in the program.