THE BEAUTY GIVING
WHETHER IT’S HER BUSINESS OR HER CHARITY WORK, WANDA PONIKA SEEMS TO ALWAYS KNOW HOW TO RAISE THE BAR TO NEW HEIGHTS
The last time Prestige Indonesia talked to Wanda Ponika was at the end of 2020, for her story in the year’s It List. Naturally, a lot has happened since then and a lot of things have changed. Take, for one, Wanda House of Jewels.
“What’s most important in the world of business is that it’s not the strongest that will survive, but those who can adapt,” Wanda begins. “In a short time, Wanda House of Jewels started doing business online so that during the social restriction periods, it was business as usual.”
Of course, it wasn’t as simple as switching to online selling. “Wanda House of Jewels used to be synonymous with complicated masterpieces that people would wear for special occasions – when they went to parties or big events like weddings,” Wanda elaborates further. “Now, with everybody staying at home, people can’t dress up, but they can wear jewellery. So, Wanda House of Jewels quickly switched to creating collections that are very simple, that we can wear at home. And that went very well, both online and offline.”
But while Wanda’s fast response to the changing business climate is definitely impressive, it is her continued drive for social activism that feels even more inspiring. “I dedicate 90 percent of my time to manage charity work such as vaccine distribution, providing groceries for the poor, procuring oxygen concentrator for regions all over the country, then there’s a program of preparing free meals for those in selfisolation,” Wanda states.
With the help of her daughters and, most notably, the Indonesia Pasti Bisa and Anak Bangsa Peduli movements, she also distributes vitamin supplements for healthcare workers. Most importantly, however, Wanda continues to determine what kind of aid is actually needed. She elaborates: “While working on these charity drives, I discovered that only an hour and a half from the capital, eight out of ten houses don’t have sanitary facilities. And the overall condition of the houses is deplorable. I also learned that groceries aren’t enough. They need money to pay the rent, for example. And then there are many who are living in containers – and that really tore me up. I used my entire network, my friends to do something. Although what we can provide isn’t as much as what other movements can come up with, in these times, whatever we can do means a lot to those in need.”
Fortunately, even with the heavy responsibilities she has taken up, Wanda has not abandoned selfcare – including, it would seem, skincare. “I love skincare, but as time goes on, we know it’s not enough, to the point that I realized that I needed to go to a clinic for treatment,” Wanda says. She also recalls being inundated by free offers through her Instagram account. Yet, she took her time to find the right option. “In the end I went to ERHA because I know the founder – dr. Ronny Handoko, the legendary doctor.”
Customization options also remains high on Wanda’s priority list. “I asked a lot of questions to the ERHA team and since they could answer them patiently and clearly, I was convinced they were a reputable clinic. I also have a lot of requests: No injections, no Botox, and I don’t want any surgery. So, they prepared a package for me to try – for three months if I remember correctly – that didn’t involve scalpels or syringes,” she shares. “And now they also have the RISERVA service. I was still in the parking area when a PA came out to greet me and I was quickly ushered to my own room. This is like my ‘me time’ – a reward for myself after all the hard work.”
All that being said, it would certainly seem that Wanda is more than ready for even more hard work. “I want to spend even more time for social activities. Not too long ago I went to East Nusa Tenggara and saw how children live there. I have always been active in health-related charity work, and now I feel very concerned for education.”
Wanda then concludes: “I always believed that the upper hand is better than the lower hand – whenever possible we give, we help. When we keep doing good things, good things will come back to us.”
“I always believed that the upper hand is better than the lower hand – whenever possible we give, we help. When we keep doing good things, good things will come back to us”