RLabs offers training, empowerment, and incubation programs for young people and women. It has already reached tens of millions of people and graduated 2 million individuals.
Reconstructed Living Lab (RLabs) is a South African social organization founded in 2009 by Marlon Parker, an entrepreneur and innovator with a passion for technology. The current head of RLabs is Christine Taphel, a psychologist and linguist by training.
RLabs is dedicated to establishing environments and systems that foster transformative experiences, driven by hope, innovation, technology, training, and economic opportunities. Through a diverse range of activities and programs, RLabs actively pursues the realization of its mission.
Via the RLabs Academy, the organization introduces free specialized skills programs designed for community members, enabling them to enhance personal growth, grasp economic opportunities (jobs, businesses, etc.), or further their education. The academy also provides internships and employment prospects, alongside curriculum development through its RLabs Course Lab.
RLabs offers the RLabs Innovation Lab to its community, actively engaging in collaborations with a range of international organizations, private enterprises, and public sector partners to craft solutions for social change. Furthermore, RLabs established Venture Studio, a one-year incubation program geared towards cultivating impactful businesses that drive job creation.
Equally concerned with women's empowerment, RLabs offers several training programs and initiatives. One such initiative is the JUNK.Fund, which raises funds to invest in and support a new female entrepreneur every month.
RLabs has had a considerable impact in Africa and worldwide. To date, it has impacted 50 million people and graduated 2 million. It has also supported 5,500 businesses. In 2017, it received the SA Blog Awards for best educational blog. The following year, it won the Google Impact Awards and, in 2022, it received the Social Innovator of the Year award issued by the Schwab Foundation and the World Economic Forum.
Melchior Koba
