Top of Her Class

Entrepreneur's Story

By: Agustinus Gius Gala

Globe Asia-22 Juli 2008. Evie Ngangi is obsessed with providing a brighter future for young Indonesians – and steering women into high level management. The celebrated author of Don’t Just be a Housewife says it all starts with education. Former model Evie Ngangi has been busy travelling to Batam, Riau, Balikpapan and East Kalimantan expanding her education portfolio under the holding company Tunas Jakasampurna.

The 46-year-old mother of six has already franchised her educational system and now plans a unique new venture with local governments that could see Tunas schools multiplying across the nation.“I am lobbying regional governments for cooperation. These local governments will provide land while I will provide the infrastructure including the curriculum on a fair profit-sharing basis. I’m convinced it will work,” Evie told GlobeAsia.

A graduate of the Indonesian Christian University (UKI), Evie says she wants to establish training centers using under-utilized and vacant buildings in Batam to provide short-term vocational education in a bid to prepare skilled manpower in areas such as welding, cellular phone technology, nursing and shipping.Evie, nominated as one of Indonesia’s most powerful women in 2006, admits she is obsessed with building the skills of local workers. She believes that with the implementation of ASEAN free trade in 2010, Indonesia must be prepared to compete with skilled manpower. If not, she says, foreign workers will dominate and Indonesia will be left behind neighbouring Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. “We must prepare Indonesians to become masters in their own land.

It is also the only way they can develop as entrepreneurs,” she says.Evie started Tunas Jakasampurna Kindergarten in Bekasi, West Java in 1982. It now provides primary, junior and secondary education. Three years ago, under her former flagship PT Global Mitratama Perkasa, Evie set up A to Z Kindergarten and the primary school Kiwi Kids, both following international curricula. The same year, she set up a holding company, PT Global Interkompetensi, which teaches English, extra tutorials, a dance school and a wide range of other programs.“We started in schools but then we developed and expanded into other fields of education. We’re also open to options in expanding as regulated in our company’s basic stature. “This potential is being explored and this is also why we were able to work together with other parties under a scheme called KSO (operational cooperation).

Prominent entrepreneur Dewi Motik Pramono says Evie’s success is based on doing what she likes best - educating people.“She was my best student. I told her that teaching is a service to the nation. Now she provides working mothers with the opportunity to enter business by teaching their children at the earliest stage of pre-school,” says Dewi, who heads the Demono Entrepreneur Institution. According to Dewi, Evie is a larger-than-life entrepreneurial figure in a business based on her hobby.

“The best thing about it is that this is her hobby and it plays such an important role in promoting human resources in Indonesia,” Dewi says. “Nowadays we (women) must have the courage to compete as Indonesia offers many opportunities.”

Franchising

Evie franchised her operations three years ago, offering other schools and education institutions the chance to take advantage of her advanced curriculum and courses. Basing her system on three languages - English, Mandarin and Indonesian – Evie is convinced her schools are ahead of their time in Indonesia.Children are also taught through the popular montessori method, which has an “edutainment” factor – mixing education and entertainment - in conversation, reading, writing and mathematics. In kindergarten, children are given psychological counselling and parents are helped follow their child’s emotional development.

Parenting centers are provided so that adults are involved in the learning process.Evie says her partners and franchise holders are real entrepreneurs. ”It’s part of a public service to teach children,” she says, adding that she is careful in the selection process of investors. Before franchises are awarded surveys are carried out on location, together with market analysis. The character of the investor is also taken into account as Evie says she does not want the business to be purely commercial. Investors “must really love children,” she insists. ”I’m sure if franchising follows our procedures, break-even point will be achieved as planned,” she says. “My obsession is to see education in Indonesia on par with education in Singapore.”

Evie initially entered the world of property development at the tender age of 19. She has bought several apartment units in Australia and New Zealand. Her husband, Teddy Ngangi, own apartments in Germany and China. “I bought apartments which are close to campuses in Sydney and Melbourne. The market is for students,” she says, adding she also owns a flower business with an Indonesian friend who is now an Australian citizen.She declined to provide details on her businesses abroad, saying her principles are simple: “I’m happy as long as they are profitable and can support education projects in Indonesia.” And on her principle of business, she states that “if you are happy with what you are doing, you will succeed.”

Entrepreneurship

According to evie, the concept of entrepreneurship must be introduced at an early stage in education. Student potential must be nurtured and challenged so skills can be developed. “Education must lead to entrepreneurship. Indonesian human resources must be able to compete globally,” says Evie, author of Don’t Just Be a Housewife.As a founder of the Women Workers Education Institute, Evie says her biggest concern is “rights for women workers”. “My big goal is not just getting rich but helping people to gain skills. I believe that Indonesian women must be developed,” says Evie, who also lives up to her own philosophy by working as a university lecturer on entrepreneurship.