Bruno Komurubuga
Returning to work after having a child is not a minor personal adjustment. It exposes structural gaps in how workplaces and skilling programs treat care, mental wellbeing, and the realities of hybrid, digital-first work. This Saturday, the FutureReady Caregivers Lab will demonstrate a different approach: practical, peer-led and grounded in lived experience, designed to help mothers re-enter the workforce with clarity, confidence and community.
The Lab is convened by Global Shapers Community, Kampala Hub in partnership with Malketha Maternal Services, MindLab Africa and Dear Maama. It is a one-day, low-cost, modular pilot that combines digital skills, mental wellbeing reflection and storytelling for advocacy. The design intentionally pairs youth mentors with mothers returning to work so learning is reciprocal: youth give mentorship and gain leadership experience while mothers gain practical, immediately usable skills.
Why this matters now. Our #FutureReadyEA pilot in 2025 moved beyond theory to tested models of regional, youth-led employability programming. Its first phase showed that cross-hub co-creation produces practical frameworks that young people can use to navigate a rapidly changing labor market. The Caregivers Lab applies those lessons to a gendered reality too often overlooked: care responsibilities shape access, confidence, and visibility in the workplace.
What we will do on the day
- Session 1 – Digital Skills Exchange: hands-on peer mentorship covering AI-assisted writing, digital organisation, productivity tools and online confidence.
- Session 2 – Mental Wellbeing and the Future of Work: guided reflection and actionable strategies for boundaries, mental load and self-advocacy.
- Session 3 – Storytelling & Advocacy Lab: produce short written and digital pieces that make care visible in workplace conversations.
Outcomes we expect
- Immediate: improved digital confidence, concrete wellbeing practices, and advocacy-ready stories from participants.
- Short-term: a portfolio of recorded reflections and interviews to amplify caregiver experiences.
- Medium-term: a replicable Caregivers Lab model that can scale across hubs, workplaces, and vulnerable cohorts.
A final note for practitioners and partner prospects
If you care about workforce resilience, mental wellbeing and inclusive skilling, this Lab is a small test with outsized potential. We will document, measure and open the model for replication. The goal is simple: when mothers return, they should not just fit into old structures. Work should bend to include them.
Till then,
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