Her Majesty - MAY JACOB

A Phd from London School of Economics and a career in the United States; yet this young lady finds her calling among the farmers of Kerala.

From London School of Economics to a nondescript Village in Kerala, what inspired you?

The nondescript village in Kerala is really where my heart is. I've always been a nomad of sorts, my parents were the quintessential Gulf migrants, and I was briefly in a boarding school in Kerala, which meant a flight a year and many temporary homes. However the excitement of flying ceased after my first flight, as I knew there was always a goodbye at the end of the journey. Airports still give me anxiety!

What I am getting at is, I have never really lived in Kerala, which was always my dream. I love this little paradise of a paradox, and wanted to put roots down here. At LSE while doing my PhD I constantly grappled with the question of how my education could be used to the benefit of my home state, and could not find an appropriate answer. When I returned to Kerala after working in the US for 10 years in the community development sector, I knew building sustainable, equitable livelihoods in Kerala is my true passion, and it's been an eventful journey since.

During my PhD graduation, the CFO who is also an of AirAsia graduate relocated LSE she to said to me that Malaysia instead of remaining in the UK because the system back in imperfections, Malaysia had many and that is where she was needed the most. That really struck a chord with me. My inspiration is Kerala, I love this land, its culture, its antiquity, its diversity, would like to think that one day I will be as dear to the land as it is to me.

From a global platform in Britain, what made you choose a career as a Social entrepreneur?