Candles transform girl into a millionaire
Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
When Eva watched the Discovery Channel in November last year she was fascinated by a report on a candle factory somewhere in Europe.
Fifteen-year-old Eva Buida was inspired and wanted to do the same. Her interest has borne fruit, as she is now able to earn at least Rp 10 million (US$1,136.4) a month and expects to earn even more in the upcoming Christmas holidays and before Valentine's Day in February.
Eva, who lives with her two older sisters, Sari and Lili, is still a modest girl and has not let the sudden fortune go to her head.
"We live separately from our parents because we want to be independent. Now we can pay the rent and we plan to buy a car because we need one," Eva said, adding that she came to Jakarta six years ago.
The three sisters also plan to look for a new location for their workshop because at the moment they can only produce the candles on a small scale due to the limited space in their three- room house.
The sisters claim they come from an ordinary family; their father is a retired civil servant and their mother a housewife.
Previously, the first year student of Don Bosco high school in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, did not get a monthly allowance from her sister Sari. Instead she was only given the money when she needed it.
Eva, who was born in Manado, North Sulawesi, in 1987, was encouraged by the Discovery Channel's report and wanted to make candles of her own.
"At first I didn't know where to buy the raw materials like paraffin or wax, the color essence and the fragrance. I was told to go to certain shops here, in Bandung and also Yogyakarta."
Instead of courting malls or hanging around cafes with friends, Eva used her spare time after school to melt candle sticks and made a variety of shapes of candles.
"I never thought this could be a serious business as at that time I was just curious. The candles were beautiful and I only wished that I could make my own," Eva told The Jakarta Post at her house, which also serves as the workshop, in Bintaro, Tangerang.
Creatively she poured the melted candles into small glasses and added fragrance to make them more attractive. Mini plastic roses were put inside the candle which was made transparent like gel.
First the cute candles were offered among school friends who were charged according to their economic background.
"I sold the gel candles for Rp 5,000 a piece, but for some friends who are tajir (wealthy) I charge them Rp 10,000 a piece. And I told them to buy more than one," Eva giggled recalling how her rich friends were unable to protest and agreed to pay the amount she asked.
Eva has been through many growing pains in the fledging candle business. Once the gas stove went off.
"Now we're using a magic jar (a food warmer) to warm and melt the raw material," Eva said.
Her sister Sari then helped her to market the creations. Eva can produce at least 100 gel candles and other various shapes of candles a day. Unfortunately, Lili is not interested in helping her sisters' business. She prefers to work in a beauty parlor.
Now the gel candles, sold under the trademark of Peace Light Candle, are available in Pasaraya outlets.
Eva and Sari also produce a candle with citronella -- as a mosquito repellent.
"We employ six people to attend to our merchandise at our outlets while the production is still done by Eva and I. Sometimes some neighbors come and help us too," Sari said.
The freelancers are paid Rp 40,000 per day.
Besides their daily production, which is meant to sharpen their skill, the girls also said it was important to broaden their knowledge.
"I go to libraries to look for books on candles, including Kompas documentary and library center. I also surf the Internet to find out more about candle handicraft," said Sari who has just earned her masters degree in management from the University of Indonesia.
As the days went by, Eva and Sari were thirsty for new challenges and they experimented in making flower candles.
Flower candles like rose, lily, frangipani and tulip are sold at Rp 10,000 per piece. They also offered flower bouquets as gifts.
The colorful flower candles are supported with a batik bamboo stick. The bamboo, with dots spread over its shaft, was specially sent by their mother who lives in Manado.
"We receive support from our parents of course in the form of continuous prayers and these bamboo sticks which are sent regularly if the supply runs out," Sari said.
The business must be going very well because with the profits Eva could fly her parents to Jakarta and back to Manado during the holidays and Sari has made several trips to Bangkok to look for better raw material for the candle production.
"In Bangkok, I found a supplier of good quality paraffin and stearic acid which functions to make the candles solid and shiny. Our candles do not easily break. They are strong," Sari said, picking up a rose candle and tapping it on the floor.
"At the moment these are only sold here at our house. We are overwhelmed with orders for Christmas and New Year gifts," she added.
A wife of a noted lawyer has ordered hundreds of floating flower candles. The candles will be floated in her swimming pool for a Christmas dinner. She also ordered flower candles to stick into the ground along her foyer.
"She's my friend in the church choir, I suggested to her how to use the candles because that was my idea," Sari said proudly.
Although they are busy, life goes on as usual. Eva still goes to school and hangs out with her friends just like the days when she wasn't in the candle business. She still attends her guitar classes and watches her favorite Taiwanese soap opera Meteor Garden.
Just like other young girls, the sisters too still love to go to the beauty parlor for hair treatments or lulur (herbal body scrub to exfoliate the skin and lighten one's complexion), and to wholesale shopping centers International Trade Center (ITC) in Fatmawati, South Jakarta and Mangga Dua, West Jakarta.
"We often get beautiful dresses at the wholesale centers, the prices are definitely lower," Sari said.
Sari and Eva are generous. They like to give free candles to friends and acquaintances but as soon as they receive positive feedback about the candles, both would say: "Please light the candles. If they're finished, come back again and buy some more."