Good employment practices don’t stop at the workplace. We also believe it is important that our skilled workers can rely on a pleasant, safe and high-quality living environment outside working hours. Because those who live comfortably, safely and pleasantly come to work more rested, healthier and more motivated. This is reflected on the work floor, benefiting both our skilled workers and our clients.
The Romanian couple Maria and Alexandru come from Tulcea, a small city near the Black Sea. Almost a year ago, they came to the Netherlands. Thanks to De Gilde Groep, they were able to move into their own studio together, something they are still grateful for every day.
Privacy
Both work at VDL in Heerenveen: Maria as an order picker and Alexandru on the assembly line. They are enjoying life in the Netherlands. “We especially really like the work,” says Maria. “The work is enjoyable, the atmosphere is good and the team leaders are fantastic. It’s exactly how it should be.”
Together, they now live in Sneek, where they finally have a place of their own. “It’s a new and comfortable studio, and that is completely fine for us. The most important thing is that we have our own place together. Before this, we lived with other people. That worked well enough, but it wasn’t ideal for our privacy,” says Alexandru.
For Maria, that last point was especially important. “I was often the only woman in the house. That’s why it means so much to me that I now live with Alexandru, just the two of us.” According to her, having your own home is about much more than just having a roof over your head. “When you move to a new country, everything changes. That’s exactly when it is important to have a home that feels like home. A place you know, where you feel safe and where you don’t have to keep adjusting all the time. Everything is already new when you move to another country. Then it is comforting to at least have your own place with privacy and peace. Everything we have now truly feels like home.”
Sleeping better
That was not always a given, Alexandru explains. “Before I started working for De Gilde Groep, I lived in Denmark while Maria was still living in Romania. That situation didn’t work for us. The most important thing is that we can be together and build a future together.” Now they notice how much of a difference it makes. “I miss my home much less because Maria is here with me. If I had been alone, it would have been very different. Now I sleep better, work better and simply feel better. Your mind is calmer. We are happy, and because of that, everything goes better.”
In their free time, they enjoy exploring the Netherlands. “For example, we went fishing in the Lauwersmeer area and in Groningen. Amsterdam wasn’t really for us,” says Alexandru. Maria laughs. “Way too busy. You had to stand in line for everything.” Sneek suits them much better. “Especially in summer, it is beautiful here, with all the boats and the lively atmosphere in the city centre.”
An important role for De Gilde Groep
According to both of them, De Gilde Groep played an important role in their start in the Netherlands. “You have really meant a lot to us,” says Alexandru. “Everything was arranged on time. We never had any problems with payments or other matters. We have a home, a car and support. These are things we would not have been able to arrange so easily ourselves here.” Maria also looks back on this with great appreciation. “Everything we have now — our work, our home and the opportunity to live together — has been made possible in part thanks to De Gilde Groep. When we hear some of the stories from others, we realise how fortunate we are. We are not placed seven people in one room, and it is not all just about earning money. If there was a problem, we could always turn to someone and it was resolved. We really have nothing to complain about.”
