Ram Gidoomal, a renowned tycoon, has built his career from scratch twice after facing forceful deportation from Kenya.
Ram, in his memoir; My Silk Road: The Adventure and Struggles of a British Asian Refugee, disclosed that his plans and dreams were ripped apart after being banished from the country.
At the age of 17, his life, charmed up in the Coastal town of Mombasa, took a retrogressive path. Immigration officials booked him the next flight to the UK.
The businessman did not reveal why he was kicked out of the country.
Born in a migrant Indian family which specialised in the silk trade, Ram picked himself up, venturing into various businesses. His focus saw him build wealth that he had lost overnight due to Kenya's deportation.
At the age of 30, Ram travelled to Mumbai. The atrocities and sufferings from families in the Asian country compelled him to shift his career prospects from enriching himself and stakeholders to helping vulnerable people in society.
He founded the Christmas Cracker Charity, raising over Ksh1.1 billion (USD10 million) to support poor kids in various parts of the world. The businessman has also empowered over 50,000 young people through his charity venture.
Having gained fame, Ram took a stab at UK politics where he unsuccessfully vied for London Mayor's seat on the Christian Alliance party in 2000 and 2004.
"Over the course of my life, there were some roads I did not choose, some I did. But whether or not we have chosen the path we're on, we can always choose how we walk it. As for me, I chose to simplify my lifestyle, to find a different road, one which ironically led me to riches of greater worth than I could have imagined," Ram wrote in his book.
''A road where the obstacles were many but never insurmountable. A road of compassion that left me with a peaceful heart. A road that led me far and wide but took me right where I belonged. My chosen path. My silk road," he added.
As an experienced entrepreneur, Ram has worked for over 30 years at the board and senior management levels in the private and public sectors.
In 2011, the philanthropist was appointed chairman of Traidcraft. Other roles he served include chairmanship of South Asian Concern, Allia, and for-profit Future Business.
With his huge contribution in helping different people, Ram has been feted by a number of institutions of higher learning which conferred him with Honorary Doctorate degrees.
Recently, he was listed in the Highflyers 50- a publication which features fifty most eminent person of Indian origin.
