Lab · Leadership & entrepreneurship
The New Forge Lab trains and equips young leaders so they can build lasting solutions in their own communities. This lab puts leadership into practice on real projects, with mentorship that lasts well beyond the initial enthusiasm.
Escaping the middle-income trap requires more than industrial expansion; it demands empowering youth through relevant education and active economic inclusion. By bridging the skills gap and fostering entrepreneurship, developing nations can drive the innovation needed for sustainable structural transformation.
For many years, fossil fuels have played a major role in powering our world. They have driven industries, supported economies, and made possible the level of development we see today.
In Harare, political interests frequently override environmental laws, sacrificing vital wetlands for housing and commercial expansion. This conflict highlights the urgent need for institutional reform to decouple urban planning from political pressure and achieve true sustainability.
The New Forge Lab teaches leadership through action. Every young project lead is paired with a mentor on a real project, followed over time, with regular check-ins. The title of “leader” is built project after project, with its successes and failures documented along the way.
The New Forge Lab works on several fronts at once: close mentorship, financing the first steps, honest documentation of failure, and knowledge transfer between successive cohorts.
One-on-one support that continues well past the initial training phase, for as long as the project needs it.
Filling the gap that exists before a project becomes eligible for conventional funding.
Every project, including one that stops, yields lessons to analyse and share with the next cohort.
Letting alumni pass on directly what they’ve learned to those just starting out.
Make mentorship a continuous presence everywhere YouthShare is already active.
Diversify the funding that supports the first steps of every project.
Honestly measure mentorship’s impact over time, well after the programme ends.
Close the loop: those who were supported go on to support the next cohort in turn.
Recruitment
Volunteer roles open until 15 January 2027, remote, for at least one year. Our roles are open to young people: experience can come from a course, an internship or a personal project.
Every output of The New Forge Lab fits into one of YouthShare’s five forms of action.
Research, advocacy, mentorship, international dialogue, foresight: see how The New Forge Lab combines several of these forms of action, alongside the four other labs.
See What we doA project looking for support, an interest in becoming a mentor, or simply a wish to join the lab? Write to us.
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