Anika Abel-Rose, the earnest owner of Nick’s Phonics Centre, a part-time school that provides phonics classes for children aged three to eight, strives on risk, using the negativity of nay sayers and her humanitarian instincts to propel her rise.
“My single biggest influence came from a person who, at one point, made me to believe I would never soar beyond my height – and for the record I am short. That hurt grew into a passion not only to be someone important, but a person that can make a difference in the world by helping others, and having my name stained on people’s tongue even after death,” the former Charlestown Government
Secondary School student said.
That drive and passion would serve her well when she “decided to open the doors of Nick’s Phonics Centre after working at two top private schools for over 16 years and witnessing children being asked to leave when they are unable to cope with the workload or not being accepted into the school when they fail the required pass mark of entry”.
“I wondered to myself: Who was going to assist these children? – knowing that everyone do not learn at the same phase or on the same day,” Abel-Rose recounted.
When the Centre was launched on August 31, 2015, she had to resign from the private school she worked at and fully commit herself to making her fantasy a reality, but that sacrifice has paid dividends. The response has been phenomenal, and the school which was initially operated as a charity had to be rebranded as a business.
“I have learnt throughout this process that nothing is impossible once you believe in yourself, and you must be open to change in order to be successful,” the Wortmanville, Georgetown resident reflected.
As a newly-wed with two daughters (including a foster child), she says “juggling business and family life can be a struggle sometimes especially when you are a workaholic (like myself), but you have to learn how to balance it or else it affects
your family members”.
Abel-Rose, who cites her daughter, Janika, as her biggest inspiration and Vishnu Doerga as her dream mentor, is bent on spreading her vision for education. “My goals are to reach more pupils by expanding regionally; we will be able to mould more young minds and assist those busy professionals and parents, who seek assistance with their child’s academic studies….
Currently at work on her Master’s in Business Management to “better manage” her schools, the educator, with a fondness for food – (laughing) “everyone knows I like my stomach”— is very confident about her business’s future: “Education is always needed all over the world, and in Guyana’s economy, it will grow as parents will always invest in their child’s education once they can see progress in their child’s studies.”
“I define success by measuring my testimonials. Making a difference or achieving a goal is success, not the amount of finance earned, especially in my type of business,” the 33-year-old declared.
“The advice I would give to an upcoming entrepreneur is to have a business plan, savings and never depend on anyone for your success. If you want to be that business owner, you first must learn how to be accountable, responsible and take ownership of your business and yourself.”
“The single most important trait for entrepreneurs is risk-taking,” she later noted.
Abel-Rose posited that entrepreneurs had a big role to play in making Guyana more productive, so more grants and easily accessed loans should be made available. “…we can help the economy by providing more job opportunities for our fellow Guyanese,” she added, but stressed that Guyanese needed to support their own.
Contact: 162-163 Lamaha Street, North Cummingsburg, between Camp Street and Waterloo Street, Georgetown; 6266551; www.facebook.com/nickphonics
