Diversity & Inclusion, Bias & Exclusion: The Story of "Class 4 Papa"

About The Book
This book chronicles the author’s unexpected journey from a childhood of rural labour with no access to education to his rise as a scholar. As a teen, he stepped into a classroom for the first time, older and taller than his peers, an obvious outsider. Mocking nicknames tried to break him, but he turned their scorn into strength. Unshaken by the whispers, he walked ahead with dignity until the noise faded, and only his own name, unshakable and resolute, remained.

More than a memoir, the book is a poignant exploration of how diversity and inclusion (D&I) policies shaped his life and where they fall short. At a time when organizations globally champion diversity and inclusion through policies aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals (particularly Goal 5 on gender equality and Goal 10 on reduced inequalities), the reality often contradicts the rhetoric. While celebrating progress in equity, being valued, diverse voices and dismantling biases, this work exposes a critical blind spot. That is, age-based exclusion.

The author’s life embodies these contradictions. Denied childhood educational opportunities, he later benefited from inclusion policies, only to discover new barriers as an ＂older＂ early-career academic.
This narrative serves dual purposes:
Inspiration: It demonstrates how a rustic farm and fishing boy became a university educator through perseverance, policy changes, and divine interventions through earthly angels. If his story of moving from fishing nets to lecture halls, despite delayed starts and systemic hurdles, can inspire even one struggling soul to persevere, then sharing these experiences will have been worthwhile. Beyond inspiration, the author shares avoidable mistakes from his journey as lessons for young readers.
Provocation: It challenges readers to examine how well-meaning diversity and inclusion initiatives may perpetuate new forms of exclusion. It is a call to transform inclusion from buzzword to lived reality, ensuring no one is deemed ＂too late＂ to contribute. The author’s journey proves that potential has no expiration date, and true belonging requires dismantling all arbitrary barriers including those hidden in policies meant to create opportunity. Once more, may it challenge institutions to look harder at who might still be waiting at the door.

Beyond critiquing flawed systems, the book explores the author’s unshakable ties to his rural past, how a busy educator still longs for the simplicity of farming, yet discovers unexpected fulfillment in teaching.

In closing, the author bows in gratitude, reflecting on the divine assistance he received from God Almighty through His earthly messengers. He acknowledges that enduring the soul-splitting tension between the fishing nets and farm hoes that fed his body and the books that nourished his soul would have been impossible without this grace.