In the village of Ibhang in Ilam, surrounded by green tea gardens, Ayusha Shrestha grew up carrying responsibilities that most children her age never had to think about.
Her mother shouldered the burden of running the family, while Ayusha took on responsibilities from a young age. She did not have the carefree childhood her friends enjoyed. She was already thinking about her younger sister’s education, household expenses and her own future.
“I felt from a young age that my life would not change if I simply stayed at home. I had to dream big,” says 42-year-old Shrestha, looking back.
Poverty had placed a heavy burden on her shoulders early in life. She was not prepared to carry it, but circumstances left little room for innocence.
Eventually, those circumstances pushed her towards a difficult path — and eventually, towards opportunities she could not have imagined at the time.
The hardships of Lebanon
At 19, Ayusha left Nepal in search of foreign employment.
A foreign employment agency had presented Lebanon as an opportunity to work as a doctor’s assistant. Having little knowledge of foreign employment, she left for Lebanon in 2006. But what she found there was completely different from what she had been promised.
She did not know the language. The culture was unfamiliar. She had no experience in the work she was expected to do. For the first three years, she endured humiliation, unequal treatment and emotional distress.
“I went to Lebanon to work as a personal secretary. But the job was not what I had been told. I had also been misled by the foreign employment agency. I suffered a lot. I didn’t even know the language,” Ayusha recalls.
“I was very young and did not have a mature understanding of things. After facing many difficulties, I returned to Nepal in 2009.”
Yet those painful experiences would eventually make her stronger.
“That was when I understood what it meant to face humiliation abroad without education and skills,” she says.
Qatar: Opportunity and confidence
After returning to Nepal, Ayusha Shrestha went back to her village in Ilam and stayed there for some time.
But being in Nepal only made the weight of her responsibilities feel heavier. The entire responsibility of her family was on her shoulders.
“I couldn’t stay in Nepal because the responsibility of my entire family was on me,” she says. “The situation in Nepal was also not good. Because of the circumstances in Nepal, I accepted foreign employment again and went to Qatar.”
She left for Qatar in 2010, this time to work as a sales executive.
She joined Apparel Qatar as a sales executive after being selected from among 150 to 200 applicants. One of only a small number of Nepali women selected for the opportunity, she began working with the Nine West brand.
The beginning was not easy.
Her English was weak, and the environment was completely unfamiliar. But continuous hard work helped her move forward.
Soon, she was recognised as a “top performer” within the company. She went on to perform strongly with brands including Skechers and Inglot, gradually establishing herself in the industry. Her performance was often better than that of people who had already been working in the field for 12 to 15 years. As a result, she was promoted within a year and given the opportunity to move to another company.
Becoming a makeup artist
The company then gave Ayusha the responsibility of becoming a makeup artist. She had no experience. But she refused to give up.
Through her own practice and learning, she built her confidence within three months. Within six months, she had become a makeup artist. Within seven years, she had taken on the responsibilities of store manager and trainer.
Her clients eventually included Qatari sheikhs and international celebrities.
“I felt proud when customers would ask, ‘Where is Ayusha?’” she says.
As she continued working, the country manager of the company one day asked her if she would join the Inglot brand. Inglot was a Polish brand specialising in professional makeup and training professional makeup artists.
Ayusha asked what her position would be if she moved to another company, given that she was already in a senior position at her current workplace. She did not have a strong educational background or extensive experience at the time. But when the opportunity with the Polish brand came, she decided to take it.
She was given the opportunity to receive training there. At the time, no other Nepali woman in Qatar was receiving training of that kind. The company was not even willing to train Nepali workers, she says.
“I learned to do my own makeup within three months. I learned about selling products, but I also learned how to do makeup myself. Within six months, I became a makeup artist,” Ayusha says.
“Then, gradually, during the seven years I worked there, I became a makeup trainer and a makeup store manager.”
Entering the luxury world
Her career took another step forward when she joined the luxury brand Salup Group with a monthly salary of 12,000 Qatari riyals, equivalent to around Rs 468,000.
She began appearing at VIP events and international masterclasses. But as her career progressed, another question began to occupy her mind.
“How long will I keep working only for others?”
In 2018, she decided to leave her secure job and become a freelancer. At first, she travelled from house to house, hotels and weddings carrying makeup equipment in a bag and providing services wherever she was hired. She had started her career in Qatar earning 1,600 Qatari riyals a month. Later, she was earning up to 12,000 riyals in the luxury sector. As her income improved, so did her confidence. She began to feel that it was time to build something of her own. After working as a freelancer for around two years, she took another major step.
In 2020, she bought Dana Salon in Maidar. She paid 400,000 Qatari riyals for the salon, equivalent to around Rs 15.6 million. By the time she completed the decoration and setup, her total expenditure had reached around 700,000 riyals, equivalent to approximately Rs 27.3 million.
Starting her own salon was particularly challenging because she had only recently given birth. Despite being postpartum, she worked as much as 18 hours a day.
“I opened Dana Salon in Maidar in 2020. It was the time of Covid. I had no money in my pocket and my son was still very young,” Ayusha says.
“I had just given birth, there were so many challenges. I bought the salon without having enough money and there were no staff.”
She had taken on debt to enter the salon business, making her even more determined.
She had always been deeply committed to her work while working for others. Now that the business was her own, there was even less reason for her to stop.
“I didn’t even get the chance to think of myself as someone who had just given birth. I didn’t have time to say, ‘I’m pregnant’ or complain about the difficulties. I drove, carried bags, ran around and worked,” she recalls.
“I brought whatever I earned and invested it in the salon. After doing that for six months, I hired staff and completed the salon.”
Building her own business
Ayusha’s hard work, dedication and constant activity gradually began to pay off. She bought a house in Kathmandu and built another good house in Damak, Jhapa. She also bought a good car, continuing to strengthen her financial position.
Throughout the journey, she received support from her husband.
While Ayusha worked outside throughout the day, her husband stayed home and looked after their infant. He also continued with his own work while taking care of the child.
In 2021, Ayusha opened another salon under her own name, Ayusha Makeup Salon.
She opened her second branch in Mandala Royal Gorkha, known as a popular Nepali area in Qatar.
Today, her two salon branches employ 32 people, including Nepali, Filipino and Indian workers.
She has also given responsibilities to her own daughter and continues to prioritise Nepali workers in the management of her salons.
She has purchased property in Dubai and plans to expand her business around the world.
“Dubai is the city of dreams. I want to turn dreams into reality,” she says firmly.
Turning struggle into a lesson
When Ayusha reflects on her struggles, she often returns to the painful experience she had in Lebanon.
“I experienced what it means to face humiliation abroad when you do not have education and skills,” she says. “That is why I always advise the younger generation to study, learn and prepare themselves.”
Her approach to work has also remained different. She does not sit in a chair simply because she is the owner.
“I am hungry for work. I take the lead myself in every task,” she says.
Today, Ayusha is not only a successful businesswoman but also a source of inspiration.
Her journey began in a small village in Ilam and took her through Lebanon and Qatar before expanding into an international business.
Over two decades of working abroad, she has turned difficult circumstances into opportunities through determination and courage.
Her story is an example of how an ordinary girl from a small village can build an identity beyond her own country.
She also encourages other Nepalis to consider starting businesses of their own whenever possible.
For that, she emphasises the importance of money, knowledge and teamwork.
“If you struggle for a few years, understand the market, gain knowledge and have the money, then it is better to start your own business,” Ayusha says.
“But money alone is not enough. You need teamwork, knowledge and skills.”
She believes Qatar and other Gulf countries offer relatively accessible opportunities for people seeking to earn money. She says the Gulf can be safer for this purpose because taxes are higher in places such as Europe and the United States.
Ayusha now also plans to return to Nepal and create employment opportunities for Nepali women.
