People Fixing The World

We visit two projects exploring practical responses to homelessness and housing insecurity. Presenter Myra Anubi travels to Edinburgh to see the work of Social Bite, a charity creating small communities of prefabricated homes on unused land, offering people a stable place to live and rebuild their lives. Meanwhile, in Nantes, western France, we meet the team behind Bureaux du Cœur, which partners with businesses to open up unused office space as safe overnight accommodation for people in need.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Alex Collins Executive producer: Richard Kenny Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Myra Anubi with Jayne and Michael at the Social Bite village in Edinburgh)

In 2017, Spanish engineer Pablo Bergasa began an unusual hobby: to design a new incubator for use in African hospitals. Eight years on, he has sent 200 of his machines around the world, and he estimates they have saved the lives of 5,000 babies. Pablo’s incubator costs just a small proportion of the price of a regular machine and can run on a battery and a bottle of water. Plus Myra Anubi hears about how a simple but ingenious plastic sheet is saving women from dying after giving birth.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every week for most of the year. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

This podcast was first published in July 2025.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Esperanza Escribano Producer: William Kremer Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

Sex is one of the few things in life that is available to everyone and is free. But achieving enjoyable sex is not possible for many. Some people are held back by fear, ignorance or culture - others don’t know or understand their rights around sex. For years public health campaigns focused on warning people about the downsides of sex - danger, disease and death - but increasingly the work is focused on the reasons people have sex. We're in Brazil where we meet Ana Autoestima. She’s a ‘virtual friend’ who provides positive advice about sex to women living some of the poorest neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro. We also visit Iraq to find out how a project is helping women who’ve suffered from female genital mutilation or FGM to enjoy their bodies and sexuality. And we’ll hear from Kenyan celebrity and musician Kaz Karen Lucas whose mission is to change the way Kenyans think about sex.

Thanks to The Pleasure Project for help in the making of this programme. Research by them, in collaboration with the WHO in 2022 helped show that including pleasure in sexual health interventions significantly increased condom use and sexual health compared to those that did not. Their website is thepleasureproject.org.

This programme contains adult themes.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Claire Bowes Brazil reporter: Julia Carneiro Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Gareth Jones

A unique community in Chester in northern England, brings multiple generations together to encourage learning and connection. We explore how young children in the onsite nursery benefit from the time, attention and vocabulary skills offered by the older adults. Meanwhile the retirement home residents can benefit from increased social activity and a sense of purpose. We also speak to an intergenerational expert in Spain about the growing evidence that backs this new societal approach.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every week. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Claire Bates Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

When it opens in December, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will be the largest in the world. Stretched over a 10-lane freeway, it is intended to help save California's mountain lion population, which has become fragmented by the highway. It could also serve as a model for other projects, as crossings of this kind have often been viewed as too large to be effective. But will the crossing work? We examine the construction and the existing scientific data to find out.

Image: Still picture from May 2026 drone footage of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing under construction (Credit: Caltrans)

Another summer brings more deadly and disruptive wildfires in Europe. As the earth warms up, they’re becoming increasingly common and harder to deal with. We hear about a special herd of cows which could help to keep some of the flames under control in future. And we find out how cutting edge space technology could be used to quickly detect forest fires when they break out.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Craig Langran Sound mix: Annie Gardiner Editor: Jon Bithrey

We live in an age of global mass tourism. Last year, the UN estimated 1.5 billion people travelled to another country. While many places depend on tourism for income and employment, it can come at a significant environmental and social cost.

We take a tour of Dubrovnik in Croatia, which has the highest tourists-to-locals ratio in Europe. The city is using perks and penalties to keep both local people and visitors happy. Also we paddle and cycle around Copenhagen in Denmark. They are rewarding eco-friendly actions to encourage better tourist behaviour.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Claire Bates Denmark reporter: Adrienne Murray Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: A Visit Copenhagen billboard promoting sustainable tourism, Adrienne Murray/BBC)

How much work do you do to keep your household running smoothly? Figures suggest domestic work still falls mostly to women - leading to resentment and burnout. This week we’re hearing from Indonesia and Croatia about projects helping change that. In rural Indonesia we visit the island of Rote - and hear how men there are overturning centuries-long attitudes to male and female roles and learning how to cook for their children and look after their homes.

In Croatia we meet the men taking part in the ‘Superdads’ programme where they discover that cleaning and doing chores brings them closer to their families. It’s run by Status M – the only NGO in the country tackling gender-based violence by talking to men about masculinity.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Claire Bowes Indonesia reporter: Ade Mardiyati Croatia producer: Barbara Matejčić Sound engineer: Hal Haines Editor: Jon Bithrey With thanks to the Good Start Challenge

(Image: Members of the Arungi NGO group with participants of the household equality workshop on the island of Rote, Indonesia)

A special edition of People Fixing The World recorded in front of a live audience at the University of Nairobi as part of the BBC’s Future of Journalism Festival.

Cities around the world are growing fast - they are the most efficient way of supporting large numbers of people. But many of them suffer chronic problems. There is often a shortage of decent housing. Getting around can be impossible with polluting cars creating gridlock on the streets. And the amount of waste we create is piling up on the streets and in landfill. Myra Anubi meets the people who are making city life better for everyone. The architect who is building affordable, sustainable homes. The innovator making transport greener and more efficient. The engineer making something useful from all our plastic waste. And the planner trying to create a more human city.

Guests: Constant Cap, Urban Planner, UNEP Christopher Maara, Founder, Kiri EV Etta Madete, Founder Shout Group and Zima Homes Lorna Rutto, Co-Founder, Ecopost

(Photo: The panel of guests sit on stage at the BBC Future of Journalism Festival, Nairobi)

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producers: Richard Kenny, Claire Bates Live sound: Martin Njuguna and BBC Nairobi engineering team Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Jon Bithrey

Programme recorded in front of a live audience at the University of Nairobi on Friday, 10 July 2026.

Across the world, everyday products — from kitchen appliances to electronics — are often thrown away rather than repaired. The latest UN estimates suggest people generate around 2 billion tonnes of household and everyday waste each year. This week we travel to Argentina to meet people finding new ways to keep old things in use. We visit Club de Reparadores, where people are learning how to fix everything from toasters to microwaves, meet the women behind Lindor who transform old blankets into coats, and join the group Cybercirujas as they find new uses for discarded computers.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Jane Chambers Executive Producer: Richard Kenny Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Gareth Jones

The ability to print objects in three dimensions has been heralded as the solutions to many problems. We check out some of the latest innovations. In Jordan we hear from the doctors who are printing prosthetic arms for people injured in conflict. In the UK we meet the man fitted with the world's first 3D printed eye. And we find out how an Egyptian inventor is using 3D printing to help blind children in the classroom.

Presenter: Jo Mathys Producer/reporter: Claire Bates Additional reporting: Toka Omar and Suzanna Goussous

(Picture: A 3D printer prints a sphere. Getty Images)

Food waste is a massive global problem: the EU alone throws away 88 million tonnes a year. Much of this ends up in landfill and produces dangerous greenhouse gasses which contribute to climate change. In Europe 53% of food waste comes from households, and one woman has made it her mission to stop Danes throwing away food. We travel to Copenhagen to meet Selina Juul, a key part of Denmark’s food waste revolution.

At least once in a lifetime, everyone has a great business idea. They often come when life events force us to experience things from a different angle. This year, the city of Liverpool in north England set about finding these “hidden entrepreneurs” with the help of an organisation called Public Life. The entrepreneurs come from all walks of life and have been offered a year’s wage to develop their idea, alongside expert help and mentoring. From the hairdresser who is building a salon-on-wheels for her best friend to the travel agent who is making a "Trip Advisor for the senses", Myra Anubi meets the people whose inspiration has come from their own life experiences.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: William Kremer Executive producer: Richard Kenny Sound engineer: Hal Haines Editor: Jon Bithrey

(Photo: Myra Anubi with Frankii Panchoo in Liverpool)

In Bergen, Norway, a two-day ageing festival is testing out new ways to build an age-friendly society—through culture, conversation and shared experiences. Myra Anubi joins in, meeting the people finding creative answers to loneliness, mental health, care and belonging, and hearing hopes for a future where generations mix rather than separate. From masterclasses to inspiring collective events, the festival’s aim is to make ageing something we can all become more comfortable with and even celebrate.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Alex Collins Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: A group of revellers at the Generation ageing festival in Bergen, Alex Collins/BBC)

People trafficking is a crime that often takes place in plain sight - victims are often exploited and controlled in everyday situations. It’s also a crime that touches all of us - the food we eat, the phones we use, the clothes we wear, may all have been produced using slave labour. We’ll hear about ways to break the cycle of trafficking. In the US we take a ride with Truckers Against Trafficking, an NGO that trains truck drivers to look out for vulnerable people who may be being trafficked for forced labour, including sex work. And in Nepal we meet SASANE, the organisation training survivors of trafficking to become paralegals - to provide them with a new career and also help encourage others to pursue justice through these fellow legally-trained survivors.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Claire Bowes US reporter: Frank Morris Nepal reporter: Chhavi Sachdev Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Truck driver Bob Bramwell of ABF Freight, Frank Morris/BBC)

Show less Release date:23 June 2026 23 minutes

Snakebite kills tens of thousands of people every year, many of them in rural communities where treatment can be delayed, expensive or difficult to reach. In southern Nepal, reporter Craig Langran joins a community organiser responding to snake rescue calls and teaching villagers what to do when snakes appear near their homes. And in a laboratory at Monash University in Malaysia, researchers are working on broader antivenoms that could reduce the guesswork doctors face when a patient arrives after a bite.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Craig Langran Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Subodh Acharya catches snakes in southern Nepal, Craig Langran/BBC)

Sexual and gender-based violence remains a reality for many women. In this programme we go to Rwanda to meet survivors who are beginning to find their voice after years of silence. We follow projects led by the development charity Tearfund and meet Sabine Nkusi, the organisation's lead on the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence. They are projects that create safe spaces for women who have experienced SGBV, while also engaging men and religious leaders in challenging ingrained beliefs.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Naomi Wellings Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Sabine Nkusi of Tearfund, credit: Kevine Uwase/Tearfund)

Is our modern obsession with speed damaging us? This week we explore the slow movement - a philosophy that challenges our fixation with productivity and suggests slowing down could offer a more meaningful way to live.

Joined by Dr Joanne Lee from the University of Warwick, we visit a school garden and restaurant in Malawi to see how Slow Food is influencing how people grow and consume food. And presenter Myra Anubi takes part in an immersive Slow Art experience in London.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Claire Bates Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Myra Anubi at Serena Korda's Wild Apple exhibition at the Wellcome Collection in London)

Rescued street dogs in Uganda help survivors find comfort, healing and renewed hope.

Northern Uganda was torn apart by a violent insurgency led by the Lords Resistance Army some twenty years ago. Kidnapping, rape and mutilation were commonplace. Many thousands of people were left with physical and emotional scars as a result. But one organisation is helping to bring comfort to those who have suffered using the healing power of dogs.

Myra Anubi visits the Comfort Dog project where street dogs are retrained to become companions to those who have suffered terrible trauma. It’s led by psychologist Francis Okello Oloya who himself was blinded as a result of the war. The powerful connection between humans and their pets is having a remarkable effect on people’s well being. And the street dogs themselves are now cared for by new owners which is helping to change the perception of animals who are often mistreated.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Richard Kenny Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andy Mills

(Image: Volunteers with the Comfort Dog project and their canine friends, BBC)

People with ADHD can face many challenges including struggles with attention, impulsivity and time management. In this programme we go to global creative company DRPG’s offices in the UK where they are doing things differently to support their ADHD colleagues. We also hear about the work of Unlocking ADHD, a charity set up by Singapore based Moonlake Lee who believes that the key to navigating life with ADHD is rooted in the creation of community spaces. And finally we go to Australia to hear how homes are being redesigned to cater to people with the condition.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Alex Collins Australia reporter: Louise Miolin from ABC News Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Members of the DRPG Neurodiversity Network, BBC)

We visit the communities in Chile restoring vital wetlands in cities and towns.

Chile’s urban wetlands are under pressure from rapid development, pollution and neglect, yet they play a crucial role in storing rainwater, supporting wildlife and reducing floods.

We visit the southern city of Valdivia where local communities have restored damaged wetlands by clearing rubbish, replanting native species and designing parks that work with nature rather than against it. Their efforts have transformed unsafe dumping grounds into thriving public spaces.

And in the major city of Concepción, residents work to restore wetlands to help fight flooding by reconnecting fragmented wetlands to allow them to do their original job.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Jane Chambers Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Francisco Vasque in the Parque Urbano Catrico, Valdivia, Chile/Jane Chambers/BBC)

The group carrying on investigations when journalists are silenced.

Over the last five years, almost 200 journalists have been killed outside conflict zones, with reporters being murdered while investigating corruption, organised crime and environmental destruction. For World Press Freedom Day, People Fixing the World looks at the work of a pioneering organisation that is trying to help. Forbidden Stories, based in France, pledges to continue the work of journalists who have been killed, imprisoned or forced into exile. To help them do this, they encourage the use of a digital “safe box”, where reporters whose lives are at risk can keep notes and interviews, and which can be opened in the event of their death. This tool means that even if reporters die, their work can live on – but many reporters believe SafeBox helps keep them safe too.

We meet Laurent Richard, founder of Forbidden Stories. From Ecuador, Tamia Villavicencio explains how she is continuing her father Fernando’s work despite serious risks to her safety. And we hear how a network of reporters finished the investigations of Colombian journalist Rafael Moreno after he was murdered in 2022.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: William Kremer Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Amanda and Tamia Villavicencio holding a photograph of their father, Fernando Villavicencio. Credit Tamia Villavicencio)

Greywater is the relatively clean waste water from baths, sinks, washing machines and dishwashers. It’s not drinkable but there’s still loads you can do with it. This week we’re finding out how greywater could help tackle water scarcity.

We’re meeting communities in the dry north east of Brazil who have installed simple systems to filter the water they use in their kitchen, showers or laundry so that they can reuse it to water crops, fruit trees and provide food for animals like cows, goats and sheep, helping them to make a livelihood.

In Germany we meet the company using bacteria to help magically recycle greywater on a big scale in hotels, museums and swimming pools. Plus we talk to a greywater fangirl for her top facts and tips on how you can save water the low tech way.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Claire Bowes Brazil reporter: Julia Dias Carneiro Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Edilene Monteiro in the garden of her home in northeastern Brazil, BBC)

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women globally. The earlier it is diagnosed the higher the chance of survival. Treatment, even when successful, can lead to arm swelling, muscle weakness and low mood. But archery is helping women in Spain overcome both the physical and mental challenges of breast cancer treatment. We visit one group and find out how the sport has increased their strength and confidence and even drained painful swellings.

We also visit a breast cancer survivor in Uganda, who has set up a business making local and affordable prostheses for women who face stigma after losing breasts to the disease.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Claire Bates Uganda reporter: Halima Athumani Programme editor: Richard Kenny Editor: Jon Bithrey

(Image: The Flechas Rosas or Pink Arrows, Claire Bates/BBC)

The eco-tourism that is helping to protect mountain gorillas in Uganda.

Myra Anubi is in Uganda visiting the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. It’s one of the few places that gorillas still exist in the wild, and even better, in recent years their numbers have actually been rising and they are no longer considered critically endangered.

This is partly down to the hard work of Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka and the Conservation Through Public Health organisation. They engage with communities living close to the gorillas, who were often poaching them and destroying their habitat, to help them better understand the animals and tap into the potential for eco-tourism. They also encourage other forms of enterprise, supporting local coffee farmers with training and investment.

Myra meets former poachers now involved in conservation and speaks with local farmers - often women - who look after the coffee plantations. She talks to the village conservation teams involved in protecting the gorillas. And of course, goes into the forest to get a glimpse of these incredible creatures herself.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Richard Kenny Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Photo: A mountain gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Credit: Richard Kenny)

Exploring style and beauty for people with disabilities.

What we wear helps us express ourselves and communicate to others in the most immediate way. But the tools we frequently use to do that, such as clothing and haircare are not available to everyone equally.

One in six of us has a disability of some sort - according to the World Health Organisation - but most clothing and beauty brands don’t take account of that. From making shops accessible to catering for differences in design and size, few companies address these particular needs.

This week on People Fixing The World we’re talking to people trying to change that. Hair and Care is a London-based hairstyling workshop which helps people with visual impairments take better care of their hair.

Plus we bring together two entrepreneurs who’ve brought adaptive clothing to Africa and Asia allowing people with disabilities to fully express themselves in the way they dress. We also meet the UK-based adaptive clothing company that could affect the way we all dress – by working with technology companies to develop a scanner that will help in tailoring for all body shapes.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

This programme was first broadcast in June 2024.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporters: Emma Tracey, Claire Bowes Producer: Claire Bowes Series Producer: Jon Bithrey Editor: Tom Bigwood Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Wearapy model photoshoot)

**This episode contains one instance of offensive language

How two projects in Kenya and Spain are helping LGBT communities.

Setting up a business can be tricky. There can be many hurdles including lack of access to capital and other unexpected costs. The challenges are particularly acute for LGBT entrepreneurs in Kenya who can be denied bank loans and face possible extortion. We meet a group of LGBT entrepreneurs who have created a dedicated fund for the community to help get businesses off the ground. We also visit the site of a new retirement home for LGBT people funded by Madrid’s regional government. The hope is that the home located in the Spanish capital and being set up by the Fundacion 26 de Diciembre will give residents the chance to live their lives with a greater sense of freedom and also a chance to find community. And we hear about a similar project in Sweden.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Alex Collins Reporters: Michael Kaloki and Esperanza Escribano Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Carolina outside a building in Madrid that's being converted into a care home, credit Isa Salcedo, Fundacion 26 de Diciembre)

How mums are helping transform early years education in Ghana.

Pre-school, or early years education, is seen by experts as providing an important foundation for children’s schooling and development. Ghana has long been a leader in this field, and has boasted a mandatory pre-school programme for almost twenty years. Yet the impact on children’s educational outcomes has been disappointing. Now the Ghanaian government is trying something new; a makeover of their Kindergarten provision to make it more fun and accessible to children. With the help of international NGO Lively Minds, they aim to wake the “sleeping giants” of education - the country’s mothers and fathers.

And we hear the poem 'Things I Love About People' - written by Hot Poet Liv Torc with your suggestions - following our recent episode 'The power of poetry'.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Justice Baidoo Producer: William Kremer Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Parents and children at the Boffourkrom M/A KG school, near Sunyani, Ghana)

Cities are getting bigger - and louder. As urban noise increases, we look at how sound itself can be used to make things feel quieter. Myra Anubi visits an audio lab in London to experience immersive soundscapes for herself and then hears how a park in Montreal, Canada uses sounds from the ocean to sooth urban stress. And we hear about campaigners' hopes for making a difference in one of the noisiest countries of them all, India.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Natasha Fernandes India reporter: Chhavi Sachdev Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: traffic jam in Delhi, Getty Images)

Can poetry change how we think, feel and act? We’re looking at how poetry is being used in some innovative and unexpected ways. We’ll hear from the Hot Poets - a group who ‘live translate’ at conferences on everything from climate change to coding. They’ve taken part in several UN climate change meetings - listening to complex presentations on science and summarising the information in a poem. They say it helps bring little known - but positive - news about climate science to a wider audience, changing despair into hope.

In Singapore we meet the medical students learning about poetry to help them become more compassionate doctors at the medical school which says medicine - like life - is not black and white. And we find out which member of our BBC team is a spoken word poet and how she is among a growing number of people worldwide to find community and belonging through open mic nights.

Plus we set our listeners a poetry challenge!

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producers: Claire Bowes Researcher: Helena Warwick-Cross Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

With thanks to: Dr Helen Johnson of the School of Humanities and Social Science at the University of Brighton

(Image: BBC production co-ordinator Maria Ogundele at HOTEP Healing Through Words poetry open mic night)

Seagrass meadows are one of the world’s most valuable underwater habitats. As well as providing food and shelter to thousands of species, seagrass is also known for its ability to store carbon and improve water quality, making it a powerful natural solution to tackle the impacts of climate change. But so much of the once thriving plant has disappeared from our planet. We visit North America’s eastern seaboard where scientists are looking at how a technique called ‘assisted gene flow’ is helping seagrass adapt and survive in warming waters. And we travel to a river estuary in northeast England to find out how local people are trying to regrow these lost meadows.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Cordelia Hemming Reporters: Ben Wyatt and Leigh Jones Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image:Blair Watson and Dr Martina Bristow plant seagrass in North East England, BBC)

If you could invent a new kind of school what would it look like? What skills would you teach children, and how would the school be run?

On this edition of People Fixing The World we visit the Mechai Pattana School in Thailand which was founded by the campaigner Mechai Viravaidya in 2008 on principles of charity and leadership. Children are responsible for every aspect of running the school, from buying food for the kitchens to disciplining fellow students and even recruiting new staff.

The children also run their own businesses, and perform several hours of community service every week. Many of the students come from underprivileged backgrounds, but their school fees are “paid” by planting 800 trees a year, together with their families.

The idea is for the school to produce “change-makers” – could it be a model for others to follow?

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: William Kremer Series Producer: Jon Bithrey Editor: Tom Bigwood Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

Millions of people around the world are unpaid carers, providing help for a friend or family member who due to illness or disability cannot cope without their support. For some this may be a few hours a week but for many this can be a round-the-clock role. This can lead to the carer being unable to work or take part in other activities and their own health and mental wellbeing suffering.

We visit a Community Caring Centre in Bangladesh that provides care for disabled children and enables the carers to have time to work or rest as well as from the charity Carers Worldwide. And in the UK we find out about a charity that offers low cost hotel rooms for carers to use for a night’s respite away from their caring duties.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Louise Pepper Bangladesh reporter: Tahmeed Chaudhury Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

Peer support is an often overlooked but important tool that can reduce isolation, increase confidence and complement various health services. We take a look at a project in Ireland where older volunteers are paired with those in a similar age bracket to provide a weekly chat and health check-in in their homes. This provides a safe space where clients can share any concerns and flag up potential health issues before they get more serious.

Then we turn to Brazil where an interactive game, co-designed by Brazilian teenagers in conjunction with Oxford and Brasilia Universities, helps students learn more about mental health and how they can help friends who are struggling.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Claire Bates Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Characters from the Brazilian game Where is Kaue, Protagonistas)

Cities are growing and developing at a faster rate than at any time in history. More than half the world’s population now live in cities. But cities don’t always offer the best opportunities for those living within them. They can be polluted, congested and often don’t have enough green spaces or playgrounds.

We find out about two cities trying to change that. The mayor of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia say she wants her city to be the best in Africa to raise a child and be a mother. We find out what she’s trying to do.

And in the Colombian capital, Bogota, we’ll visit the city’s ‘Care Blocks’ where people are given the opportunity to learn new skills - or just relax - while their children or dependents are looked after.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Claire Bowes Colombia reporter: Laura Ubate Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Caregivers and children in Bogota, Colombia, learn to ride bikes, Laura Ubate/BBC)

An innovative scheme in Scotland is helping dads in prison become better parents. Myra Anubi visits Barlinnie jail in Glasgow to meet the prisoners taking part. First they are taught parenting skills and then their children are brought into the jail for sessions of active physical play. Supporters of the programme say it is not just about benefits for prisoners - it is helping to create strong family bonds which might then reduce rates of reoffending.

It is based on a successful scheme in Australia called Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids. This was set up to get people fit and tackle high levels of obesity in the wider population. We talk to the founder who explains how it has improved the lives of hundreds of fathers and their families.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Richard Kenny Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: Prisoners and their children at Barlinnie prison in Scotland, Scottish Prison Service)

Wild horses have been roaming public lands in the American West for over a century but their population numbers are far greater than what is considered an appropriate management level. This is causing ecological damage and strains on natural resources, in addition to concerns about the horses' health. This has become a deeply contentious and emotive issue. We head out into the desert, driving 100s of miles across the mountains and plains of Nevada and California, to witness first hand how different stakeholders are putting their differences aside and coming together to find innovative solutions.

The Igba Boyi apprenticeship scheme, described as the world's largest business incubator, has helped the Nigerian Igbo people build generational wealth in the devastating aftermath of the Civil War.

The scheme involves a master mentoring an apprentice who, upon graduation, is "settled" with start-up funds and contacts to launch their own business.

BBC Reporter Chiagozie Nwonwu explores this vital tradition and why it is now at risk of fading out in modern Nigeria.

Could AI technology help the fashion industry get to grips with sustainability, and arrest its brutal impact on the planet? With a huge carbon footprint, vast water usage and filling up of landfills, the fashion industry’s impact is well documented. But companies throughout the supply chain have rolled out tech solutions, many of them AI powered, to address these issues. How effective are they? At the growing stage, AI apps are being used by farmers to grow regenerative cotton. Other companies are using such tech to optimise orders, reducing the amount of garments that go straight to landfill. AI powered machines are detecting defects at the manufacturing stage and retailers are using it to help their customers make more informed choices. Fashion journalist Brooke Roberts-Islam follows a pair of jeans across the full fashion supply chain. Through showcasing technological advancements along the way, this one garment helps us to explore the possibilities and limitations of AI in improving the industry’s environmental record. We visit a cotton farm in India, where AI tools help to reduce water and pesticide use; in Bangladesh, algorithms in garment factories prevent waste through identifying defects in materials and retailers in the West are providing their customers with detailed information on the materials used in each product. The programme will also consider AI’s limitations and the negative implications of relying on such technology, such as the energy demands of generative AI.

Featuring contributions from Kuldeep Khatri, director of nature at Materra; Max Easton, CEO of Smartex; and Andrew Xeni, founder of the ethical retailer Nobody’s Child. Sound design: Jarek Zaba Producer: Jarek Zaba Presenter: Brooke Roberts-Islam A 2 Degrees West production

8% of Swedish adults say they have no close friends, according to one survey. But a wave of innovative projects is trying to change that. From buddy schemes to corporate “friendship hours” and grassroots social clubs, we explore how adults are going about enhancing their social lives — and what other nations might learn.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Maddy Savage Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: Minttu and Yashu who met through Kompis Sverige, Maddy Savage/BBC)

Presenter Myra Anubi and the team chat about some of their favourite projects that have been covered on People Fixing The World over the last twelve months, from radioactive rhinos in South Africa to the Buz Stop Boys cleaning up streets in Ghana.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Louise Pepper Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: The People Fixing The World team at the BBC - from left to right, Richard Kenny, Natasha Fernandes, Claire Bowes, Louise Pepper, Katie Solleveld, Myra Anubi, Claire Bates, Jon Bithrey, copyright BBC)

The World Health Organisation recommends all pregnant women should have at least one ultrasound before six months. However, only half of women do in sub-Saharan Africa. This week we visit Kenya to see how portable ultrasound devices are flagging up any issues early. And how AI could overcome the barrier of not having enough trained midwives on the ground.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producers: Calvin Manika, Claire Bates Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: A midwife gives a pregnant woman an ultrasound scan, BBC/Davis Ojiambo)

Children with dyslexia are often misunderstood — but what if their struggles in school are actually signs of unique strengths? We visit a pioneering school in Kenya that’s transforming education for dyslexic students where children learn through sound, movement and visual tools. And in the UK, we attend a business event with a difference held by the charity Made By Dyslexia — where employers and campaigners celebrate dyslexic strengths like creativity and problem-solving.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Janet Ball Kenya reporter: Michael Kaloki Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Students at the Rare Gem Talent School, Kitengela, Kenya)

We look at solutions that focus on teaching children how to respect each other and understand their emotions better. We visit a primary school in Botswana where a charity called Think Equal is helping teachers put empathy at the heart of their teaching and speak to Think Equal's founder Leslee Udwin. And Myra visits a school in East London where teenagers are being taught how to interpret what they read online as part of an initiative to tackle misinformation and polarisation.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

This podcast contains references to sexual violence.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Natasha Fernandes Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Myra Anubi with Leslee Udwin of Think Equal in BBC studio, BBC)

Peru is famous for its diverse and innovative cuisine - but how is it making sure its venerable food heritage is preserved for decades to come? We meet the indigenous Quechua people who are cultivating more than 1300 species of potato, working with scientists to safeguard seeds in community banks as part of both ecological and cultural efforts. And we hear how communities in the high Andes are turning back to crops like quinoa and kiwacha in the face of climate pressures and the desire to boost nutrition.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Jane Chambers Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: Peruvian farmer Victoria Quispe on her farm, Jesus Infantes, SIMPLi)

Learning to read empowers people, reduces poverty and increases their job chances. Yet more than 700 miliion adults are illiterate, the majority of them women. We look at innovations to help adults learn how to read from flatpack classrooms in flood-prone regions of Bangladesh, to an app teaching tens of thousands in Somaliland. Plus how adults in the UK are improving their reading skills thanks to an army of volunteer teachers using a method developed in prison.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Claire Bates Series producer: Jon Bithrey Editor: Tom Bigwood Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Jahura Begum, Shabnur Akhter, Rashida Begum at Friendship class in Bangladesh, Friendship)

How do you save threatened species? This week we look at two novel solutions. In the UK, scientists are developing a unique contraceptive that will be fed in a nutty spread to grey squirrels, an invasive species that threatens the native red squirrel. And how scientists are moving albatross eggs thousands of miles from their low-lying home on Midway Atoll in the North Pacific to a Mexican island to try and protect the under threat Black-footed Albatross.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Claire Bates Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Scientists remove albatross eggs in Midway Islands, Pacific, GECI)

Organ transplantation has long been seen as a miracle of modern medicine but each year thousands of people across the world die while waiting for this life-saving operation. We’ll find out how one medical technology company based in the UK is cutting wait times for liver transplants after inventing a machine which simulates the human body. We’ll also visit South Africa which has one of the lowest rates of transplants globally because of a donor shortage and a lack of awareness. There, we’ll meet Zane - a unicorn with a Zebra leg who’s teaching children about ‘sharing a spare’.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Claire Bowes South Africa reporter: Mpho Lakaje Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Zane the unicorn meets a student at a TELL transplant awareness event in Midrand, S Africa, Mpho Lakaje/BBC)

Thousands of people in Sierra Leone lost limbs during the brutal civil war, and many more have struggled to overcome the mental as well as physical burdens of the conflict. We visit the Farming on Crutches programme where amputees are trained in agricultural skills which they can use to start their own farms and teach others in their communities their skills. Plus how former addicts are helping others in their communities to stop using kush, a deadly blend of addictive substances that has become a scourge in Sierra Leone and other parts of West Africa.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Sira Thierij Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: A trainee farmer rakes grass from a field in Sierra Leone, Sira Thierij/BBC)

Many cities are becoming unpleasant to live in: they are getting hotter due to climate change and all the heat absorbed by the streets and buildings. But Stuttgart in Germany has been tackling this by carefully studying local wind patterns. Using the natural airflow they are cooling the city by creating corridors of wind from the surrounding hills. It’s an idea which is being copied by cities around the world such as Singapore. There we see how new buildings are being designed to allow a breeze to flow despite the continued development.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Richard Kenny Singapore reporter: Tessa Wong With thanks to: Indrawan Prabaharyaka Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Richard Hassell of WOHA architects in the Punggol Digital district of Singapore, BBC)

The US state of Alaska may be known for its rugged wilderness, but it’s also quietly leading a green revolution. We explore how an island community is powering itself through a locally built and managed microgrid - cutting out fossil fuels and slashing energy costs. And we find out how scientists are using native mushrooms to produce sustainable building insulation and cold fish storage boxes that could help promote sustainability both in Alaska and beyond.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Anna Holligan Producer: Peter Devlin Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Gareth Jones

(Image: Grizzly bear in Katmai National Park, Alaska, Getty Images)

A unique community in Chester in northern England, brings multiple generations together to encourage learning and connection. We explore how young children in the onsite nursery benefit from the time, attention and vocabulary skills offered by the older adults. Meanwhile the retirement home residents can benefit from increased social activity and a sense of purpose. We also speak to an intergenerational expert in Spain about the growing evidence that backs this new societal approach.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every week. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Claire Bates Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Younger and older mingle at the Belong retirement village, Chester, UK, BBC)

In some places, the nearest safe operating room can be hours or even days away. We find out about a portable operating theatre called SurgiBox that fits in a backpack and inflates in minutes, creating a safe surgical environment for operations almost anywhere. We meet the co-founder of the start-up behind it and see it put to the test, and speak to a surgeon who has used it to save lives far from a hospital. We also hear from Field Ready, whose engineers in Syria are using 3D printing to bring broken hospital equipment back to life, and we hear about Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms — grassroots command centres where volunteers coordinate life-saving help and vital information in the midst of war.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Craig Langran Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Gareth Jones

(Image:A 'patient' demonstrates the equipment in the Surgibox, BBC)

In one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Mumbai, a quiet transformation is underway. Govandi has long been associated with poverty and poor health outcomes. But with the help of a civic organisation, the community has built vibrant spaces with children and women in mind— libraries, workshops, and leisure zones—defying the norms of city planning that can overlook such needs. We explore how trust, persistence, and grassroots collaboration turned a neglected area into a model for urban resilience and enjoyment.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Chhavi Sachdev Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Reading exercises at Kitaab Mahal, Natwar Parekh compound, Mumbai, Natasha Sharma)

Play is essential to children’s development – kids learn about themselves and the world around them by having fun and taking risks. In some countries scientists have linked a decline in free play with a rise in children’s mental health problems. In this programme we visit a playground called “the land” where no parents are allowed in! This highly-regarded project in Wales now supports adults too, an approach dubbed “play-based community development”. Plus we visit a “soft play” centre in Los Angeles, USA, one of a chain of play spaces that have been created specifically for autistic children and their families.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporters: William Kremer, Emma Tracey Producer: William Kremer Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Children at The Land adventure playground in North Wales, BBC)

A new farming method is having a dramatic effect on maize crops in Malawi. And assistance is coming from a solar-powered tractor. In the last of her visits to Malawi, Myra goes to a village where they are using a new method called Deep Bed Farming. It’s more than doubled the yield of some of the farmers and improved their standards of living. The method involves digging deep into the hard earth. This can be tough work but a new solar-powered tractor designed in the UK called Aftrak is helping the farmers. Malawi has been hit hard by the changing climate and often struggles to feed its population. So making it more food secure could improve the lives of millions.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Richard Kenny Malawi Producer: Marie Segula Editor: Jon Bithrey Senior News Editor: Lisa Baxter Sound Mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Malawian farmers with the Aftrak solar powered tractor, BBC)

In India, how can gorgeous flowers offered in a temple or gathered to decorate a wedding be an environmental problem? Chhavi Sachdev discovers that the practice of disposing of the spent flowers, thousands of tonnes of the them daily, into rivers and lakes causes major pollution and literally suffocates waterborne life. The problem is made worse by the fact that the flowers are sprayed with pesticides in the field so are yet more toxic when discarded. But there ARE solutions - both to recycle the waste into treated compost and, in an innovative scheme, to dry the flowers for their colour and fragrance and make incense sticks - many millions of which are sold in India every year.

Presenter/Producer : Chhavi Sachdev UK Producer: Tom Woolfenden A Just Radio Production

Image: Piles of orange, yellow and red flower heads at market. Credit: Chhavi Sachdev

Frequent floods blight the poorest neighbourhoods of New Orleans but the residents are fighting back, one yard at a time. Physicist Helen Czerski joins the team behind the Front Yard Initiative as they strive to keep the Big Easy safe and dry, 20 years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

When Katrina hit New Orleans in August 2005, the levees broke, 800,000 residents were forced out and 1800 people died. $14bn was spent on concrete and steel to rebuild the defences but the city still floods regularly.

This water isn't coming from the Mississippi River sealed behind the new defences, it's coming from the skies. Sudden, violent rainstorms are becoming more frequent and the city's low income districts have notoriously inefficient drainage systems. The water lands on concrete and asphalt and quickly overwhelms the drains.

The team behind the Front Yard Initiative is working, block by block, to help residents beat the floods by turning broken concrete into rainwater gardens. Native flowers and cheap, simple engineering are helping to transform neighbourhoods and attract new residents to the battered but beautiful home of jazz, gumbo and Mardi Gras.

Image: An example of a front yard made into a rainwater garden, pictured with the owner and team behind front yard initiative. Credit: Alasdair Cross

British Sikh engineer, Navjot Sawhney gave up his lucrative career to go and work in India, to use his skills to help solve problems for rural communities. While there, he became fascinated with the problems his neighbour, Divya, was facing while handwashing clothes, sometimes for up to three hours a day.

Broadcaster and journalist Nkem Ifejika finds out how Nav promised to design a hand crank, off-grid washing machine for his neighbour, to help her avoid the sore joints, aching limbs, and irritated skin she got from her daily wash.

Within two years of coming up with the idea, Nav had set up his own company, The Washing Machine Project, and trialled his first machine in a refugee camp in Iraq. From that first trip, over five years ago, the project has now provided nearly a thousand machines, free to the users in poorer communities and refugee camps, in eleven countries around the world.

Nkem hears how seven years on, Nav fulfilled his promise to return to India with a machine for his neighbour, Divya.

The Washing Machine Project is now partnered with the Whirlpool Foundation, the social corporate responsibility arm of the company that designed the first electric domestic machine over a hundred years ago, and together they hope to impact 150,000 people.

Nkem asks if a project like this can really make a difference, given that roughly five billion people still wash their clothes by hand.

Producer: Alex Strangwayes-Booth A CTVC production

Image: Navjot Sawhney sitting between two hand crank, off grid washing machines. Credit: The Washing Machine Project

Communication is a human right - but what happens when someone can’t speak for themselves?

Sean Allsop struggled to talk until he was eight years old, when he began to speak thanks to years of speech therapy. He explores the technologies and innovations helping people around the world who struggle to communicate.

We meet Richard Cave, National Advisor at the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, as he introduces a patient and their family to voice banking, a method that preserves someone's voice before it's lost, using recordings to create a personalised synthetic version. He explains why having your own voice is a major part of your identity.

In the United States, we hear from people trialling a brain chip that turns neural signals into speech. It's still in its early stages, but how close are we to seeing this kind of technology more widely available for those who would benefit from it? A child-friendly robot made in Luxembourg is teaching children with communication difficulties how to express emotions and build social skills. And in San Cesareo, Italy, the simplest solutions can sometimes prove the most effective. The town has introduced AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) sign boards in public spaces, helping both users and non-users learn and connect.

Image: A student pointing at an image on an AAC sign board (Credit: Eleonora Vallerotonda)

What if reimagining how cities are designed could make women safer? In Cairo, sexual harassment and violence against women on the streets has been endemic. Women don't feel safe enough to walk or take public transport. A pioneering programme called Safer Cities, is hoping to find the solution through radical urban redesigns, women friendly spaces and raising awareness about sexual harassment. Salma El-Wardany, who was born in Cairo, visits a women’s only park in Imbaba, Giza and meets Samaha who runs the park. She not only oversees the children playing, but also organises events for local women with advice and support. Salma visits Zenein Market in Giza, which was redesigned to better support the majority of female sellers there. They show Salma the older part of the market which is yet to be regenerated. Salma also speaks to Caroline Nassif, who worked as Project Officer at UN Women, as well as local NGOs, and Minister Manal Awad Mikhail who was one of the driving forces behind the scheme across locations.

From powering cars to feeding farm animals, how using seaweed more can help the planet. We hear how a local business in Barbados is using sargassum seaweed to power cars, providing an eco-friendly alternative for islanders and potentially helping to clear the beaches of smelly seaweed. Also we visit the European company aiming to replace single-use plastics with seaweed-based packaging. And how feeding seaweed to cattle can dramatically cut emissions of planet-warming methane gas.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every week. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

(Image: A person holding clumps of dulse seaweed in Canada, James MacDonald/Bloomberg)

Citizenship is a kind of social contract that exists in democracies. To function effectively, members of society need to feel like they can engage with and improve their communities. We take a look at two projects helping people do just that in Portugal. We explore a scheme that has helped 30,000 teenagers team up with politicians to transform their local areas. And we hear how another project has enlisted older people in society to train as agents in disaster prevention and spread their knowledge in the wider community.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every week. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Alison Roberts Producer: Claire Bates Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Students at a school in Portugal take part in a MyPolis session, MyPolis)

In 2017, Spanish engineer Pablo Bergasa began an unusual hobby: to design a new incubator for use in African hospitals. Eight years on, he has sent 200 of his machines around the world, and he estimates they have saved the lives of 5,000 babies. Pablo’s incubator costs a small proportion of the price of a regular machine and can run on a battery and a bottle of water. Plus Myra Anubi hears about how a simple but ingenious plastic sheet is saving women from dying after giving birth.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every week for most of the year. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Esperanza Escribano Producer: William Kremer Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

Food waste is one of the biggest environmental and economic challenges we face — and much of it happens long before the food reaches our plates. In this episode, we meet the people working to tackle the problem in different ways. We hear about the smart sensors which could help cut down waste by measuring when food has actually gone bad rather than relying on one-size-fits-all expiry dates. And in Scotland Myra visits the start-up turning waste from whisky production into fish food.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every week for most of the year. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Craig Langran Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Myra Anubi with Euan Kinninmonth at the Eden Mill distillery, St Andrews, Scotland, BBC)

Despite a lot of progress in the last few decades, more than a billion people still live in acute poverty, according to the UN. Many don’t have access to basic needs like food, water, shelter and clothing. We look at an innovative project in Paraguay where people identify their own needs using a traffic light system and are then linked up with businesses, NGOs and government bodies who they work with to improve their lives.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every week for most of the year. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Jane Chambers Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: Person looking at Poverty Stoplight survey, Poverty Stoplight)

How the numbers of stray dogs - and feral pigeons - can be kept down kindly in urban areas. From street dogs to feral pigeons, many towns and cities are having to deal with exploding bird and animal populations which can pose risks to health and safety. This week we take a look at ways we can control numbers in an effective and humane way. We visit a special pigeon loft in Germany, where pigeon eggs are swapped with dummy eggs to help manage the population. And we take a walk with tourists in Mexico, who are helping to socialise stray dogs while also providing funds for their care.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every week for most of the year. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Claire Bates Reporters: Maddie Drury, Andre Lombard Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Layla Kudri with a couple of street dogs on a hike in Mexico, BBC)

Being in hospital can be frightening and lonely for children — but playful ideas are helping make the experience a little easier. In Scotland, professionally trained clowns are visiting paediatric wards to bring joy and distraction, while in the US, immersive video games are helping young patients come to terms with illness and long stays. We meet the people using creative ways to brighten up a stay in hospital for children and teenagers.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every week for most of the year. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi US reporter: Scott Miles Producers: Craig Langran, Richard Kenny Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: Clown Doctors Dr Biscuit and Dr Groovy with presenter Myra Anubi, BBC)

Barcelona in Spain is famous for its beautiful streets, lined with tall apartment buildings. But the architecture is a problem for many people who have lived for years in upstairs apartments but who now find the stairs unmanageable.

In 2008, a survey found that in one district there were 300 people who could not leave their homes alone. A group of volunteers decided to do something about this and got hold of a special wheelchair with caterpillar tracks, so it can be used to take people up and down stairs. After an initial pilot scheme they launched a local service called “Let's Go Down to the Street”, to help elderly residents go shopping or meet up with friends. Sixteen years on, the service is offered across the city.

Plus we visit a home for senior citizens in an unlikely location: a university campus. The Mirabella complex at Arizona State University in the US offers its residents the chance to sample the college lifestyle – from lectures to shows and sports fixtures.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

We first podcast this episode in February 2024.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: William Kremer Reporters: Esperanza Escribano, Anthony Wallace Series Producer: Jon Bithrey Editor: Penny Murphy Sound mix: Gareth Jones

(Image: Barcelona resident Teresa being helped down the stairs, BBC)

Shipping containers are a staple of global trade, helping in the transport of all sorts of goods by sea across the world. But their relatively cheap cost and sturdy structure lends them to many other purposes. In this episode we look at a start-up business in the UK that uses shipping containers to store carbon captured from the air in the production of building materials. And we visit a school for poorer children created out of shipping containers that sits in the middle of a busy intersection in Mumbai, India.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: William Kremer India reporter: Chhavi Sachdev Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Myra with Nicholas Chadwick from Mission Zero outside a shipping container in Norfolk, BBC)

What do you do with your waste if you live somewhere that doesn’t have the infrastructure to deal with it? Turns out there are some really simple solutions. Presenter Myra Anubi is in Malawi where she meets the cafe owner in the capital Lilongwe who has set up a recycling hub as well as the women making valuable compost from food scraps and animal dung. Plus Myra visits the Kibébé workshop in the Dzaleka refugee camp where refugees are finding employment and meaning by turning used materials into clothing and toys.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Richard Kenny Malawi producer: Marie Segula Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image:Norah Baziwell and her team of compost makers in Lilongwe, BBC)

Mindfulness meditation, which involves becoming aware of the breath in the present moment, has been a core part of Eastern contemplative practices for thousands of years. Over recent decades however, it’s ‘exploded’ throughout the West as scientists have sought to prove the physical and mental benefits of regular practice - like feeling calmer, less stressed and feeling better able to manage emotions.

This week we look at some of the more surprising places where these simple techniques are having a big impact.

In Kenya, we learn about the ‘mindfulness revolution’ that took place in a men’s high security prison outside Nairobi after a group of inmates and guards were taught mindfulness techniques in 2015. They soon started teaching each other and ten years later it’s spread to prisons throughout the country and beyond.

And we visit Baltimore in the US, where a non-profit organisation has been teaching mindfulness and yoga in inner city schools for over twenty years, giving children growing up with violence and deprivation the tools to manage their emotions and heal trauma.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Zoe Gelber US reporter: Ben Wyatt Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Gareth Jones

(Image: Students in Baltimore practicing yoga, Holistic Life Foundation)

During the 1970s and 80s, thousands of Chilean babies were illegally kidnapped, trafficked and adopted. The practice was widespread during the rule of General Augusto Pinochet.

Today many of Chile’s ‘stolen children’ are trying to trace their birth families - and their mothers are also looking for them. Hundreds of them have been successfully reunited with the help of a small Santiago-based NGO called Nos Buscamos. Using DNA testing kits, and a range of other techniques and technologies, they help track down families separated for decades. We meet Constanza del Rio - the founder of the project - and hear from the families they’ve helped to bring back together.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Jane Chambers Producer: Viv Jones Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Jimmy Thyden-Lippert González embraces his mother Maria Angelica González, credit: Nos Buscamos)

From Malawi, Myra Anubi takes a look at ways that technology is improving children’s education. Malawi has free primary schools - but almost 90% of 10 year olds are unable to read properly. So the government is distributing tablets to schools up and down the country. They use software that helps kids to learn maths and reading at their own speed and in their own language. Tests have shown that literacy and numeracy are improving and the children come to school more often.

Myra also visits the world’s first 3D printed school. In Malawi there aren't enough school buildings. Is 3D printing the solution to bringing better classrooms to where they are most needed?

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Richard Kenny Malawi producer: Marie Segula Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Children at Takumana school, Malawi using tablets, Richard Kenny/BBC)

Bias in the way medical research is carried out means that new medicines for diseases such as cancer – as well as the tools used to diagnose patients with some conditions – are disproportionally tested on people of European heritage. This can lead to those not represented in the data being misdiagnosed as well as some treatments not working as well as they should.

From the Ghanaian scientist helping to develop cancer treatments which work better for African people, to the team in England using AI to diagnose dementia in communities where English isn’t widely spoken, in this programme we will meet the solution-seekers trying to make healthcare more equal.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Craig Langran Egypt reporter: Nadine ElShiaty Egypt producer: Mariam Mokhtar Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Dr Yaw Bediako in a laboratory, Yemaachi Biotech)

Myra Anubi is joined by BBC Access All presenter Emma Tracey to look at new technology that could help blind people in their everyday lives. Glide is a new mobility aid – it’s a device with wheels and cameras that aims to provide blind people with an alternative to white canes and guide dogs, while using AI to give them more information about their surroundings. Emma tries the gadget out in Los Angeles. She also looks at a device that is much simpler but in its own way revolutionary – the BrailleDoodle is a tactile tablet that makes it easy for blind children to learn braille, create art and understand graphs and diagrams.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Emma Tracey Producer: William Kremer Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: Emma Tracey walks across a road in LA with the Glide device, BBC)

This week we look at two projects that show how sport can be a powerful tool for social inclusion.

We go rowing with some refugees in Seville, Spain, and discover how being part of a crew has helped both adults and kids feel part of their new community.

And we join a special scheme in southern England that uses football coaching to break down barriers between police officers and local young people. The project is run by Brighton and Hove Albion Foundation in partnership with Sussex Police.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Claire Bates Reporter/producer: Craig Langran Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Rowers on the Guadalquivir river, Seville/BBC)

There are more people alive and living for longer - but with that comes more people experiencing failing health. While some of this is inevitable, some can be reversible through rehabilitation.

The WHO says 2.6 billion people could benefit from rehabilitation services but in low and middle income countries fewer than half receive these services. We’ve found three projects which help promote independence and a better quality of life.

We hear how training doctors and nurses in basic rehabilitation skills is changing lives and communities in rural areas in countries as diverse as Uganda, China and Fiji.

We find out about the bracelets which look set to reverse some effects of Stroke and open the door to recovery. And we meet the online community of physiotherapists who are helping mentor new physios around the world.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Claire Bowes Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Azizova Mizhgona is given advice by physiotherapist Parvona Sheraeva,WHO/Tajikstan)

The global rhino population has fallen by 95% since 1900, mainly due to poaching. Now an atomic approach is being used to stop the poachers in South Africa by placing radioactive material into the horns of rhinos. We journey to the South African bush to meet the scientists - as well as the rhinos being protected.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Ayanda Charlie Producer: Katie Solleveld Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: A rhino with its face covered, being guided by two vets in the Waterberg reserve, South Africa, Ayanda Charlie)

How do you stop people chopping down precious rainforest? In the Indonesian part of Borneo, researchers for a conservation charity discovered that local people were chopping down the rainforest around them for an incredibly understandable reason – they needed to pay for medical treatment for themselves and their children.

So they started a project that would hopefully protect the forest and help the local communities at the same time. They built a health centre and gave people a big discount on medical care if they stopped chopping down the trees. Ten years on, we visit the forest to see what happened next.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

We first podcast this episode in December 2023.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Ade Mardiyati Producer: Craig Langran Series Producer: Jon Bithrey Editor: Bridget Harney Sound mix: Hal Haines

In the red light districts of Kolkata, India, there exists an extraordinary youth club. DIKSHA, as it’s known, looks after the children of sex workers when their mothers are working. While they’re at the youth club, girls and boys learn about their rights and are empowered to take control of their futures. Since the club started in 2001 it has worked to prevent girls from joining the sex trade, and helped reduce the stigma facing children in the wider community. Reporter Puja Bhattacharjee meets the people behind the club and the families benefitting.

This programme contains adult themes.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: William Kremer Reporter: Puja Bhattacharjee Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: A group chatting at DIKSHA, BBC)

Around the world, rubbish is collecting in our gutters and waterways, with millions of tonnes being washed out to sea every year. As the soup of ocean debris kills and injures millions of marine animals, we look at two projects trying to make a dent in the problem. We discover a Greek project which has enlisted thousands of fishermen around the Mediterranean to collect rubbish from their nets, rather than throw it back. They then sort it and hand it over for recycling when they return to port. We then travel to Accra in Ghana where a group of volunteers called the Buz Stop Boys are busy clearing the streets of rubbish. They hope their noisy grassroots movement will inspire others to take responsibility for public places and stop rubbish being washed out to sea. And we hear from Teddy, our youngest problem fixer yet. The six year old from the UK has stopped thousands of sweets tubs from going to landfill, proving you're never too young to fix the world.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Claire Bates Greece reporter: Daphne Tolis Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Gareth Jones

(Image: A Greek fisherman with debris recovered from the sea, Daphne Tolis/BBC)

Globally, energy production and use is responsible for around 75% of the world’s carbon emissions, with around a third of that on electricity and heat alone. To tackle climate change, we need to get more energy from renewable sources, so this week we’re taking a look at some of the more surprising ways people have come up with to harness clean energy from the world around us.

In the United States, we see what happened when a group of concerned mothers forged a surprising alliance with a gas company, and worked together to get clean energy from the ground beneath their feet.

In Madagascar, we meet the grandmothers bringing solar light to their remote villages, plus we visit Wales, where an innovative new technology is harnessing power from the tides – by flying “kites” underwater.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Zoe Gelber Madagascar reporter: Sira Thierij Senior Producer: Richard Kenny Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Solar Mamas at work, BBC/Sira Thierij)

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one in every 100 people in Gaza have a life-changing injury because of the conflict. It’s currently impossible for most to leave the strip and get medical treatment but a team of Jordanian medics has been able to enter Gaza and fit war victims with cutting-edge prosthetics which clip on quickly and easily. The BBC’s Yolande Knell in Jerusalem has been hearing from innovators, doctors and those who are being helped about how the new technology works and how it could help in other parts of the world, either in conflict or in healthcare provision more generally.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Yolande Knell Jerusalem producer: Anastassia Zlatopolskai London producer: Craig Langran Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: A man in Gaza being assisted as he walks with a new prosthetic leg, BBC)

Sex is one of the few things in life that is available to everyone and is free. But achieving enjoyable sex is not possible for many. Some people are held back by fear, ignorance or culture - others don’t know or understand their rights around sex. For years public health campaigns focused on warning people about the downsides of sex - danger, disease and death - but increasingly the work is focused on the reasons people have sex. We're in Brazil where we meet Ana Autoestima. She’s a ‘virtual friend’ who provides positive advice about sex to women living some of the poorest neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro. We also visit Iraq to find out how a project is helping women who’ve suffered from female genital mutilation or FGM to enjoy their bodies and sexuality. And we’ll hear from Kenyan celebrity and musician Kaz Karen Lucas whose mission is to change the way Kenyans think about sex.

Thanks to The Pleasure Project for help in the making of this programme. Research by them, in collaboration with the WHO in 2022 helped show that including pleasure in sexual health interventions significantly increased condom use and sexual health compared to those that did not. Their website is thepleasureproject.org.

This podcast contains adult themes.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Claire Bowes Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Gareth Jones

Billions of people struggle to make ends meet a lot of the time. We look at ways in which people who don’t have much money or are in financial distress can make what they do have go further. We visit savings and credit groups which are helping women to start businesses in Guatemala and see how a cooking at home scheme is helping to save cash - and improve diets - among some of the most vulnerable people in the UK.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Claire Bates Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Glendy Mendez and her food stall, Jane Chambers/BBC)

Many agricultural workers don’t have the eyesight they need for the work they do, affecting both their comfort and their ability to earn more money. They're among the billion plus people who have visual impairments but can't get the assistance they need. We visit a coffee plantation in southern India where workers are being given glasses on the spot. As well as easing eye strain, the intervention has been shown to increase workers' pay significantly.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: William Kremer Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: An Indian worker being given an eye test, Shruti Kulkarni/Vision Spring)

In the farming community of Los Negros in rural Bolivia, the river is their life and livelihood. So when that river started to dry up, it made life very hard. They blamed the villages upstream for not looking after their precious water.

This conflict could have turned ugly. But with the support of a local charity, what came out of it instead was a ground-breaking agreement. After years of negotiations, the town at the bottom of the river agreed to support the communities upstream to protect their forests and keep the river healthy.

The idea is now the blueprint for water sharing agreements between communities across the continent.

We first podcast this programme in November 2023.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Jane Chambers Producer: Bob Howard Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny Murphy

Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

Image: Senor Rogelio Valverde sits by his water source

Myra Anubi visits a major project in the north of England that’s restoring a damaged landscape. Haweswater in the Lake District is an area of stunning natural beauty but over the years it’s been degraded by humans and livestock. This has created flood risks and reduced biodiversity. But now work is underway to restore the site to benefit both people and the environment. Rivers have been ‘re-wiggled’, peat bogs repaired, and new trees planted. Myra also visits an innovative scheme in the area that’s using old Christmas trees to repair damaged river banks.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Richard Kenny Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Gareth Jones

(Image: Annabel Rushton and Glen Swainson of the RSPB with Myra Anubi, BBC)

Presenter Myra Anubi and the team chat about some of their favourite projects that have been covered on People Fixing The World over the last twelve months.

We’ll be returning to Thailand and the school run by kids; checking in with a family of beavers which are part of an urban rewilding project in the UK and hear more about saving kelp forests in California and healthcare solutions that are really making a difference in Kenya.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporters: Claire Bates, Claire Bowes, Craig Langran, William Kremer Producer: Katie Solleveld Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Gareth Jones

(Image: Myra in the studio, BBC)

This summer, deadly wildfires raged in countries like Spain, Canada, and Greece. And as the earth warms up, they’re becoming increasingly common and harder to deal with. Today, we will hear about a special herd of cows which are helping to keep some of the flames under control. And we find out how cutting edge space technology could be used to quickly detect forest fires when they break out.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Craig Langran Sound mix: Annie Gardiner Editor: Jon Bithrey

The misuse of guns is a problem for lots of countries across the world. This week we look at projects trying to reduce deaths and injuries.

In the US we visit the company which says it has successfully developed the world’s first ‘smart gun’ which uses facial recognition and fingerprints to identify the gun owner - meaning only they can fire the gun. We also speak to a woman who’s convinced police in the UK to speak to the partners of those being issued gun licences.

And in Jamaica - where most murders involve firearms - we find out how hospital data is being used to reduce the number of attacks using guns - even in the country’s most troubled neighbourhoods.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporters: Claire Bowes, Nick Davies, Anthony Wallace Producer: Claire Bowes Sound mix: Andrew Mills Editor: Jon Bithrey

(Image: Mourners remember those killed in 2024 Apalachee school shooting, US, Getty Images)

The world produces about 400 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. A lot of this waste, such as multi-layered plastic packaging and cigarette butts, is hard to recycle. Instead, it fills up landfills and contaminates the environment.

We travel to the Indian city of Pune where eco-social company Recharkha upcycles plastic packaging waste into contemporary products like tote bags, lampshades and table mats. It relies on village women’s handicraft using traditional spinning wheels or charkhas, simultaneously helping tackle rural unemployment.

We also head to another Indian city, Noida, where an organisation works with local women to safely turn millions of cigarette butts into clean fluffy material to be used in stuffed toys - among other products.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Chhavi Sachdev Sound mix: Andrew Mills/Ardila Syakriah Editor: Jon Bithrey

(Image: Women who work at the Recharka project, Recharka)

We eat millions of tonnes of coconuts every year - with the dense white flesh of the fruit making a tasty snack and the juice a refreshing drink.

But the inedible husk and shell go to waste – and it’s this part that innovators and entrepreneurs around the world are now putting to work to solve a whole host of problems.

In Sierra Leone, a personal tragedy was the catalyst for young entrepreneur Alhaji Siraj Bah to start a business which takes the coconut husk and turns it into an alternative to charcoal - which is good for the forests and could potentially save lives too.

And we hear about the start-up using coconut to keep fish, fruit and vegetables cool for longer without using any plastic.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporters: Eric Mugaju Producer: Craig Langran Series producer: Tom Colls

(Photo: Farmers in Teluk Payo village, south Sumatra are peeling the skin of coconuts to be turned into copra or charcoal, 13 July, 2022. Credit: Sigit Prasetya/Getty Images)

We rely on space for our communications, weather monitoring and security. Yet rising levels of space junk increase the risk of collisions, putting these things at risk.

This week we are heading to a space lab in the UK to meet the scientists building a special waste collector that will clean up defunct satellites. We’ll also be heading to the Himalayas to see how an innovative project is training sherpas in Nepal to clear trash off the mountains using drones.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Claire Bates Sound mix: Annie Gardiner Voiceovers: Diwakar Pyakurel at BBC Nepali, Hikmat Khadka Editor: Jon Bithrey

(Image: Myra Anubi and Anna Nash from Astroscale, BBC)

Powered chairs offer people with limited mobility the chance to be independent, since they can be controlled with an array of switches and pads. For some people though, unpredictable muscle spasms mean that driving can be time-consuming, stressful or dangerous. We try out a new device from Belgium that uses artificial intelligence to quickly learn a user’s profile, filtering out unintentional movements to provide a smooth experience, meaning more people than ever can steer their chairs and live more comfortably. And we find out how clothing can help autistic people communicate their feelings more easily.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: William Kremer Reporter: Ben Morris Editor: Jon Bithrey

(Image: Levi Rijsbrack and Ben Morris, William Kremer/BBC)

Madagascar is the second-largest island nation in the world, similar in size to France or Texas. Lying off the coast of southern Africa, it’s home to nearly 30 million people and is a real biodiversity hotspot. Nearly 90 percent of its plants and animal species are endemic, meaning they can’t be found anywhere else in the world. But much of the habitat they depend on is being destroyed, both on land and at sea. On this programme we look at how local communities are fighting to protect their forests and the marine life that that surrounds this unique place.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Sira Thierij Sound Mix: Hal Haines Editor: Jon Bithrey

(Image: Diver off the Barren Isles, Madagascar, credit Sira Thierij)

This podcast was partially funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator.

In 2019 a group of prison officers from Philadelphia in the US spent three weeks working in jails across Scandinavia - in order to see whether their more humane approach to custody could work back at home.

Five years on we visit SCI Chester’s ‘Little Scandinavia' to see whether the ‘homely’ environment - where prisoners can order groceries, cook their own meals and socialise with officers – leads to better behaviour.

We’ll also head to Panama, where an innovative recycling project is cleaning up a prison and providing inmates with skills they can use once back in the outside world.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Craig Langran Reporters: Jane Chambers, Ben Wyatt Editor: Jon Bithrey

(Image: Inmates playing chess at Chester jail, Pennsylvania, Getty Images)

2024 has been called a record breaking year for elections, with billions of people eligible to take part in all types of votes. But how can we make sure people can vote safely and securely?

We visit Australia's Northern Territory to see how voting takes place in incredibly remote communities. We also find out how a group of eminent women in Uganda is combating violence and intimidation during elections. And we hear how Estonia operates one of the most high-tech elections in the world.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producers: Katie Solleveld, Richard Kenny Australia reporter: Laetitia Lemke Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Jon Bithrey

(Image: Illustration of voter putting ballot in box, Getty Images)