GPN Speaker Series: Eric Mungai, Founder and CEO of Yazua Afrika

Forging Futures: Rethinking Masculinity & the Struggles of Boys in Africa

Across Africa and beyond, boys are falling through the cracks — silently struggling in education, mental health, and economic opportunity. Yet, society still assumes they will “figure it out.” The consequences of this neglect are undeniable: rising disengagement, fractured identities, and a growing vulnerability to dangerous ideologies.

Eric Mungai will challenge outdated assumptions about masculinity and make the case for a bold, new vision — one where boys are not left behind but forged into purposeful, ethical leaders. Mungai will explore the crisis of direction facing young men today, the erosion of rites of passage, and the false binary thinking that pits male development against gender equity.

Through pioneering interventions — FORGE and iDECIDE — Yazua Afrika is crafting structured, scalable solutions that equip boys with resilience, purpose, and leadership. This is not just an African challenge; it is a global imperative. If we want a future of stability, collaboration, and shared progress, we must invest in the right kind of masculinity — one defined not by dominance, but by contribution.

The future is not something boys should fear — it is something they must be forged to build.