Don't give up – anything is possible!

Rosina came to Finland as early as 2013 to study international business development in Rauma. After graduating in 2017, she chose to stay in the country. She learned Finnish, moved to Helsinki, and got a job at the airport. Together with a friend, she also ran a food truck in Hanko for a period of time.

At the same time, the idea of owning her own business was always there. Rosina knew she wanted to open a restaurant, but not where or with what concept. The answer came through a friend, who moved to Åland with her Ålandic boyfriend and thought Rosina should follow. Rosina had visited Åland herself a few times as a tourist and liked the atmosphere.

– It's calm here, and I'm a calm person.

In Helsinki there were plenty of Nepalese and Indian restaurants, but on Åland they were completely absent. Rosina saw the opportunity and the idea of her own business began to take shape.

Setbacks along the way

But the road there was anything but simple. When Rosina applied for a business loan, she was turned down – the bank didn't believe in the concept. She decided to invest her own money instead.

– I had already made up my mind. It didn't matter how long it took, I was going to get here anyway.

The business registration also caused problems. Rosina had registered as a sole trader instead of a limited company, and everything she had prepared in Finnish had to be redone in Swedish. Here she received great help from Ålands Näringsliv, which offers free advisory services to those who want to start their own business and was able to guide her through the process.

Another turning point was meeting Tanja Sabel, airport manager at Mariehamn Airport, who was looking for someone to take over the vacant restaurant operations at the airport. Tanja was positive and encouraging when many others were hesitant. The meeting with Tanja made Rosina make up her mind.

– She gave me support and believed in my business when others didn't.

It has now been over a year since Rosina opened her restaurant Taste of Himalaya on the second floor of Mariehamn Airport. There she serves Nepalese and Indian food prepared according to traditional recipes.

A dream start

On the very first day, Rosina had prepared food for about 25 guests, but she didn't really think that many would come. Just to be safe, she had asked her friends to keep the evening free so they could eat together if there was food left over.

It never came to that. The guests poured in and the food ran out instead. The customers laughed at Rosina's amazement.

– It was a fantastic day, she says.

Today, the lunch service is the heart of the business. Taste of Himalaya is on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and recently launched its own website.

At home on Åland

After a year on Åland, Rosina has no doubts that she made the right choice. The people of Åland have welcomed her with open arms.

– They are so welcoming and positive. It rubs off on me too.

To others who are thinking about making the same journey, she has one concrete piece of advice: sort out the practicalities before you move. A driving licence, registration, the language – the more you have in place, the easier it will be.

– If you don't speak Swedish, the language can be a barrier, so the more you have sorted out in advance, the easier the start will be.

Rosina otherwise describes herself as shy, but on Åland she feels at home. To anyone thinking about doing the same thing, she says:

– Anything is possible, even if you start from scratch. If you have passion and courage, you can do it – don't give up!