Fanny Evrita
Our first meeting start withFanny Evrita standing in front of the Wisma Cheshire residence. She charmingly retold her life and the relationship with her ever-growing beauty care business, Thisable Beauty Care. Through this story she revealed to us that “It was not always a rainbow, especially a few years ago”.
It’s a perplexing and heart-breaking story of this age of technology. Before living in Jakarta, Fanny was an ordinary, humble office worker in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, but the company where she worked decided to terminate her employment because of her disabilities. “Since there were next to no opportunities in Pontianak, I decided to seek chances in another city, sort of looking for an adventure,” she laughs. Having possessed a huge passion for beauty for many years, she was determined to pursue her interest and to act upon this dream. Ultimately, Thisable Beauty Care was born. She is currently the Head of Product Development and the rest… well, it’s not quite history yet!
“The products which are suitable for everyone’s needs are progressing really well, thanks to God. Now they are available in several major cities in Indonesia, such as Jakarta, Bali, Bekasi, Bandung, Samarinda and of course, my beloved hometown, Pontianak,” she adds. The very existence of the brand is not merely to produce cosmetic products, but also to open the door for people with learning disabilities who have been marginalised by society for a very long time. “This is something so rewarding for me: helping provide jobs for them. Even though the attitudes have shifted and some companies have begun to accept people with learning disabilities as their employees, I still think their options are unquestionably limited,” she said firmly.
According to Fanny, everybody, with or without disabilities, are born with their own uniqueness. “Regrettably, not everyone realises it,” she says. Hoping to alter society, both locally and abroad, she tries to convey that same message in every bazaar she attends – particularly to other disabled people. “I want to encourage them to explore their potential. To ensure that they know our disabilities can’t hold us back. Everybody has the right to make the most out of his or her potential, including people with disabilities. And Thisable Beauty Care is the epitome of the labour of a disabled woman who was resilient against all odds. The key is to focus on your passion and don’t let your condition and all challenges limit your very best,” she concluded.