Alle afleveringen van People Fixing The World – pagina 3 van 11

A wheelchair that learns

12 november 2024 · 23 min

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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. Lees meer

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)

The race to save Madagascar's biodiversity

5 november 2024 · 23 min

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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. Lees meer

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.

The jails where they do things differently

29 oktober 2024 · 23 min

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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. Lees meer

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)

Fixing elections - for the better

22 oktober 2024 · 23 min

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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? Lees meer

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)

The pioneering TV news service

15 oktober 2024 · 23 min

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TV BRA in Norway is a unique media organisation. Their fortnightly national news show is presented by reporters who have learning disabilities or are autistic.
Through interviews with politicians and other authority figures the station aims to hold the powerful to account, while also changing the way that people with learning disabilities are seen. Lees meer

We join them in their flashy new studio in Bergen where the journalists share some of their best stories and tell us about their aspirations for the future.

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: William Kremer
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: In the studio of TV Bra, William Kremer/BBC)

Keeping men healthy

8 oktober 2024 · 23 min

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How can people get much needed health services as they go about their daily lives? We’re back in Kenya where we visit a barbers shop that offers mental health advice and support alongside the trim and shave. And we check out a truck stop just outside Nairobi where long distance drivers can not only grab some food but also get access to medical care they wouldn’t otherwise have the the time to seek out. Lees meer

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: Richard Kenny, Claire Bates
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Hal Haines

Saving Britain's sea life

1 oktober 2024 · 23 min

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The health of shorelines around the world is under threat like never before. We look at efforts being made in the UK to tackle some of the challenges posed by overfishing and climate change. We travel to Yorkshire in northern England to meet the scientists and fishing communities trying to work out how to protect local lobster stocks. And in Devon in south west England we hear how artificial reefs are helping attract fish and crustaceans to a previously barren patch of sea. Lees meer

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
Yorkshire reporter: Madeleine Drury
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Staff from Whitby Lobster Hatchery, copyright Maddie Drury/BBC)

The power of native knowledge

24 september 2024 · 23 min

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The Awajun people have lived in the Amazon rainforest for thousands of years but their way of life and environment is under threat from deforestation and unsustainable farming. Now Awajun women farmers have begun mixing old traditions with new technology to make a material which offers an alternative to leather made from animals. The women are working with a fashion company which helps turn the sap from the local Shiringa tree into a rubber-like fabric used in clothes and shoes. Lees meer

We also find out how one native plant which grows in the desert regions of Niger has been rediscovered by locals. Hansa was previously seen as a food only eaten in desperation but a social enterprise has changed its image. It’s now become popular in local cookery and has been found to be both nutritious and sustainable.

Plus we hear from a member of the Western Apache community in the US who tells us how learning about her native foods has helped both her and her community eat more nutritiously.

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
Niger reporter: Sasha Gankin
Producer/reporter: Claire Bowes
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Members of the Awajun tribe in Peru looking up at a Shiringa tree, Collective Fashion Justice)

Hopping aboard the hospital train

17 september 2024 · 23 min

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Half of the world's population don't have access to essential healthcare, according to the World Health Organisation. And even in highly developed countries many still lose out. This week on People Fixing The World we hear about some ideas that aim to change that. We jump on board a hospital train that travels around South Africa providing affordable treatments to remote communities. And we step into a truck in a British supermarket car park, which is catching early cases of lung cancer when it’s much more treatable. Lees meer

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 Bates
South Africa reporter: Mpho Lakaje
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Andrew Mills

The medicines dropping from the sky

10 september 2024 · 23 min

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Presenter Myra Anubi visits western Kenya to see an innovative project that’s using hi-tech drones to deliver HIV drugs and testing kits. It’s an attempt to tackle the number of infections amongst young adults in the region. The drones are dropping HIV kits at youth-focused events such as football matches and concerts. The idea is to take away some of the stigma surrounding HIV/Aids and make treatment more accessible. Lees meer

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.

Producer: Richard Kenny
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

Our favourite climate solutions

20 augustus 2024 · 28 min

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In a special edition, we join forces with fellow BBC podcast The Climate Question to share some of our favourite ways of fighting the impacts of climate change. Myra Anubi joins Jordan Dunbar to discuss solutions big and small - from tidal power in Northern Ireland to floating solar panels in Albania. Plus, we hear about pioneering community initiatives to protect forests in Borneo and Colombia. Lees meer

Presenters: Jordan Dunbar and Myra Anubi
Producers: Osman Iqbal, Craig Langran and Zoe Gelber
Editors: Simon Watts and Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Tom Brignell

Switching off our smartphones

6 augustus 2024 · 23 min

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Concerns are growing about the effects of smartphones on both adults and children, so we're looking at ways to reduce our dependence on these ubiquitous devices. Lees meer

Presenter Myra Anubi attempts to ditch her smartphone for a week, while she finds out about a fast-growing campaign in which local parents get together to agree to delay buying them for their children. But Myra and her own daughter don't quite see eye-to-eye on the topic.

Plus Anna Holligan visits an innovative project called The Offline Club in Amsterdam, where people hand in their phones in exchange for a dose of good old real-life interaction.

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
Netherlands reporter: Anna Holligan
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Hal Haines

Greener ways to keep cool

30 juli 2024 · 24 min

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Climate change is affecting us all. When the temperature goes up, many of us reach for the air conditioning. But that in itself is making things worse. AC units use a huge amount of electricity and most use hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants - also known as HFCs which contribute to climate change. Lees meer

The International Energy Agency says over the next three decades demand for air conditioning is set to soar. But what’s the alternative?

We’ll hear from the Irish engineers who say they have the technology to revolutionise air conditioning and refrigeration by doing away with planet-warming HFC gases completely.

And we’ll talk to one of Africa’s leading architects, Francis Kéré, about how he combines traditional materials with modern designs - removing the need for air conditioning completely in his native Burkina Faso.

Plus we’ll hear from an American lawyer who helped craft the law in the US to keep in line with the international mandate to phase down refrigerant gases. He’ll tell us about alternatives to HFCs and how regulations have encouraged innovation.

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

Olympic-sized solutions

23 juli 2024 · 23 min

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As athletes from around the world strive for glory at the Paris Olympics, we look at how sport has a unique ability to change people’s lives for the better. In a refugee camp in Lebanon we meet those who are being inspired by that most traditional of sports, cricket. In Kenya we meet women from the toughest backgrounds who are taking on the world at football - and learning important life lessons as they go. Plus we hear the remarkable story of a cyclist from Afghanistan who is part of the Refugee Olympic Team. Lees meer

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: Annie Gardiner

(Image: Vijana Amani Pamoja football team, Richard Kenny/BBC)

Protecting wildlife from human activity

16 juli 2024 · 23 min

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From the way we catch food, to how we generate energy, human activity inevitably impacts on wildlife and the environment in unintended ways. So this week we’re looking at ways to reduce this collateral damage. We visit a windfarm in Finland that's using AI to predict bird flight paths and stop individual turbines before they cause damage. And we join some fishermen in Cyprus, who are using special green lights to warn turtles away from their nets. Lees meer

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

Rethinking mental health

9 juli 2024 · 23 min

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In the US, police officers spend about a fifth of their time responding to mental health crises. This is something they are often not trained for, and figures also show that people with untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed during a police encounter. Lees meer

We go to Arizona where some 911 calls are now being responded to by mental health professionals who are trained to de-escalate a situation and help someone experiencing a crisis to get the support they need. This is part of a trend across the United States where a new nationwide mental health helpline called 988 has also recently been launched.

We also visit Denmark, where people going to their doctor with mental health issues are being prescribed ‘culture vitamins’ in an effort to tackle anxiety, stress and depression.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/US reporter: Craig Langran
Denmark reporter: Adrienne Murray
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound Mix: Andrew Mills

(People in Aalborg, Denmark on street art tour, Adrienne Murray)

Africa's best new innovators

2 juli 2024 · 23 min

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In a special programme, Myra Anubi is in Nairobi, Kenya at the final of the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation which rewards the best new innovators on the continent. Their exciting solutions deal with access to healthcare, plastic recycling, waste disposal and pest detection. She meets the finalists and finds out which one of them has walked away with the £50,000 prize. Lees meer

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

(Image: Finalists in the 2024 Africa Prize, Royal Academy of Engineering)

Making tourism work for everyone

25 juni 2024 · 23 min

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Tourism brings money and opportunities to communities around the world, but it brings risks too. Sometimes an influx of tourists changes a place, damages the environment or leads to the exploitation of local people. Lees meer

But the social enterprise Local Alike has a different model. They have worked with dozens of villages in Thailand to get them ready before “opening up” to tourists. During this process, which can take months or even years, they help locals identify the meals, activities and sights that will interest visitors, and they bring in outside investment to improve the village. Then they help establish a fair stream of revenue for the community.

We travel with Somsak Boonkam, the founder of Local Alike, as he faces his toughest challenge yet: to work with his own home town as it prepares for tourists.

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

Saving water at a time of scarcity

18 juni 2024 · 23 min

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Just over a quarter of people on the planet live in water stressed countries. And our increasing demands for water as well as climate change is putting even more pressure on this finite resource. Lees meer

We take a look at how Indian farmers are growing crops with a device that stores rain underground. Plus how a test farm in the US uses a special clay liquid to grow vegetables in the desert. Finally we visit a project in Cyprus that could help coastal cities clean and reuse their wastewater in a more eco-friendly way.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/reporter: Claire Bates
US reporter: Anthony Wallace
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Sound Mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Biplab Paul demonstrating his bhungroo device in Gujarat, India, Biplab Paul)

What to do with an empty mall?

11 juni 2024 · 23 min

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US shopping malls, once a mainstay of American life, are in decline. Forty malls have closed since 2020, while more than 230 department stores have closed in the same time period, according to Green Street, a real estate analytics firm. Lees meer

But where there is change, there is also opportunity.

After Burlington High School in Vermont had to close its doors because dangerous chemicals were found, the school hopped into a site vacated by Macy’s department store five years earlier.

The children now ride the escalator to class. Elsewhere, malls have been converted into offices, casinos or large healthcare facilities. We explore the surprising second life being offered to these temples of consumerism.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: William Kremer
Series producer: Tom Colls
Sound Mix: Anne Gardiner
Editor: Penny Murphy

Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

Image: Pupils at a school in a department store.

Fashion without barriers

4 juni 2024 · 23 min

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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. Lees meer

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.

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)

Solving Mexico City's water crisis

28 mei 2024 · 23 min

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Mexico's capital often floods during the rainy season, but paradoxically, it's also running out of water. A large and growing population, along with crumbling infrastructure and the effects of climate change - are increasingly putting a strain on the city. We meet the army of scientists, activists and urban planners trying to solve this problem - and rethink Mexico City’s relationship with water - including the scientist using plants to clean sewage water and the architect who has designed a park that absorbs excess rainwater. Lees meer

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/producer: Craig Langran
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Alejandro Alva in Cuautepac wetland area, Mexico City, BBC)

Living with climate change

21 mei 2024 · 23 min

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Poorer countries are likely to bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change, with rising temperatures and more unsettled weather leading to greater stresses on natural resources and often inadequate infrastructure. But whilst there’s a lot of focus on global attempts to limit temperature rises by cutting greenhouse gas emissions, there are many smaller scale projects aimed at both tackling and living with climate change. Lees meer

On this edition of People Fixing The World, reporter Jane Chambers travels to the small Central American nation of El Salvador. She meets communities working to preserve highly endangered mangrove forests, crucial in protecting coastlines against flooding and valuable carbon sinks. She also visits a “shade coffee” plantation – where coffee is grown beneath a canopy of plants and trees – to hear how the method can help preserve rainforest and protect against soil erosion and water loss. And she visits a project on the Pacific coast that has made huge strides in protecting the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Jane Chambers
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: Aldo Sanchez and Boanergues Sanchez holding a hawksbill sea turtle, photo by Magali Portillo)

The school run by kids

14 mei 2024 · 23 min

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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? Lees meer

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 principals 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

Fighting sexism in society

7 mei 2024 · 23 min

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Across the world millions of women and girls face discrimination and worse because of their gender. On this edition of People Fixing The World we look at projects designed to change attitudes. In India we visit workshops aimed at recruiting younger men as allies in the fight against sexism and gender inequality. And we speak to the founder of Chalk Back, a street art initiative that encourages women to write sexist remarks they’ve been the target of onto pavements in chalk to highlight the problem of street harassment. Lees meer

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Chhavi Sachdev
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Sound mix: Hal Haines

Restoring California's underwater forests

30 april 2024 · 23 min

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Often described as underwater rainforests and the “lungs of the ocean”, kelp forests line as much as 25% of the world’s coastlines. They provide important shelter and food for fish and other marine life, and are vital for our oceans’ ecosystems. However kelp is under severe threat because of climate change, warming seas and overfishing. We look at projects in California aimed at stemming the decline of kelp including how scientists are growing it in a laboratory to be planted at sea as well as tackling a key cause of kelp degradation - sea urchins. Lees meer

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/reporter: Craig Langran
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Sound mix: Frank McWeeny

Kangaroo care for premature babies

23 april 2024 · 23 min

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Premature babies often need a lot of expensive specialised care - but that isn’t always available. So, doctors in Colombia are teaching mothers to look after their babies in a similar way that kangaroos look after their own young. Lees meer

It’s called "kangaroo mother care" and instead of being in an incubator, babies are wrapped tightly against their mother’s skin.

The technique was developed in Bogota in the late 1970s as a response to overcrowding in hospital maternity units. There weren't enough incubators and around 70% of premature babies didn’t survive.

Doctors started using this simple skin-to-skin method. They found it wasn't only saving babies but was also helping them to thrive. Now, kangaroo care has spread around the world.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Zoe Gelber
Series producer: Tom Colls
Sound mix: Hal Haines
Editor: Richard Vadon
Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk
Image: A baby in the kangaroo position

Redefining luxury fashion

16 april 2024 · 23 min

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The fashion industry is the third largest manufacturing industry in the world consuming huge amounts of the world’s resources and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. But some innovators are trying to make the industry more sustainable. We discover how old fire hoses in the UK have been diverted from landfill and turned into fashionable bags and accessories. Plus we visit Mongolia to find out about a new luxury material made from yak hair. It's an eco-friendly replacement for cashmere which comes from goats who are causing desertification. Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Claire Bowes Executive Producer: Richard Kenny Series Producer: Jon Bithrey Editor: Tom Bigwood Sound Mix: Andrew Mills Lees meer

How literacy can change a life

9 april 2024 · 23 min

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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. Lees meer

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)

The power of music

2 april 2024 · 23 min

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We all know about the power of music to change our mood or to make us move. But an increasing body of evidence is showing that music has an amazing ability to help us heal. In this programme we are going to meet people working at the cutting edge of music therapy. We find out about the innovative system that uses music to help people with dementia live at home for longer. We will see how using songs and rhythms is helping people with Parkinson’s move more freely. And in a refugee camp in Uganda we meet the teachers using music to bring people together and overcome trauma. Lees meer

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/Reporter: Richard Kenny
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Richard Vadon
Sound Mix: Frank McWeeny

(Image: Salam Music Program in Bidibidi, Uganda)

Greener ways to feed the world

26 maart 2024 · 24 min

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Transforming the global food system is vital in the fight against climate change. Currently, food production accounts for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the food system also fails to properly nourish billions of people worldwide. Lees meer

In this edition of People Fixing The World we’re looking at high and low tech solutions to transform the ways we produce and consume food to make it greener and more equitable.

In London, we visit a startup company making cheese from genetically modified microbes rather than cattle, in a bid to make dairy production better for the planet.

And in Philadelphia we look at how planting fruit and nut trees in ‘food forests’ is tackling hunger by providing access to healthy, nutritious food for low-income communities across the city.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/producer: Zoe Gelber
Series producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Sound mix: Frank McWeeny

Magic mushrooms and mental health

19 maart 2024 · 24 min

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Could psychedelic drugs help in the treatment of mental health conditions? We look at pioneering research into psilocybin, the active ingredient in so-called magic mushrooms. We visit a clinic in Oregon, the only state in America where the use of psilocybin in therapeutic sessions is legal and hear from one patient who says it's the only treatment she's ever had that makes a difference to her depression. And we hear about some of the widespread concerns that widening access to such drugs could have. Lees meer

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Ben Wyatt
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Sam Bonham
Sound Mix: Annie Gardiner

Speaking up at work

12 maart 2024 · 24 min

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Whistleblowers - they're the good guys right? The ones who speak truth to power and have films made about the heroic stands they took? Sometimes. Often the people who speak up in the workplace are ignored or shut down. Worse still they're often bullied or harassed or end up losing their jobs. They're the ones you never hear about. Lees meer

This week we hear about two projects that are encouraging people to speak up about wrongdoing at work and how they're improving people’s work environment, saving time, money and even saving lives.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/producer: Claire Bowes
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Penny Murphy
Sound Mix: Annie Gardiner

Clever ways to get kids learning

5 maart 2024 · 24 min

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Schools across Senegal have discovered a clever way for children to surf the web even when there isn't any signal. Lees meer

They're using a special WIFI hotspot which works without an actual internet connection, so students and teachers can access all the relevant bits of the web, offline.

Around the world, innovators are coming up with solutions like this - all designed to get children learning. We also hear from an entrepreneur revolutionising how science is taught in Ghana and a night school in Pakistan for children not in formal education.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer: Craig Langran
Reporters: Borso Tall, Tooba Masood
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Penny Murphy
Sound Mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: Students using science kit, Dex Technology)

Bringing dead languages back to life

27 februari 2024 · 24 min

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Australia used to be one of the most linguistically diverse places, with over 200 languages. Today, many of Australia’s indigenous languages are considered “highly endangered”. Inspired by his native language, Hebrew, Ghil’ad Zuckermann is a linguistics professor who is on a mission to revive Australia’s dead and endangered languages, painstakingly piecing them back together from historical documents. We speak to Ghil’ad and Shania Richards from the Barngarla community, whose language is being brought back from the brink. Lees meer

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/producer: Josephine Casserly
Producers: Claire Bates & Craig Langran
Series producer: Tom Colls
Sound mix: Annie Gardiner
Editor: Penny Murphy

Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

Image: Shania Richards, in the uniform of the Youth Governor of South Australia

Making life easier for older people

20 februari 2024 · 24 min

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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. Lees meer

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.

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

Overcoming stigma

13 februari 2024 · 24 min

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On this edition of People Fixing The World we meet people who’ve helped overcome long-standing cultural biases to create better outcomes for everyone. In India we hear about the social media campaigns which have helped city dwellers in Bengaluru see those who pick waste from rubbish dumps not as dangerous and dirty but as invaluable recyclers. In Nigeria we meet a traditional healer and a health worker who are collaborating to help improve the treatment of psychosis and break down some of the unhelpful attitudes towards severe mental health problems. Lees meer

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/producer: Makuochi Okafor, Claire Bowes
Series producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Penny Murphy
Sound Mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Chief Mukaila Yusuf, BBC)

Rewilding Earth

6 februari 2024 · 24 min

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From beavers in the UK to bison in Romania and jaguars in Argentina, ecologists around the world are reintroducing animals that once flourished in particular areas. The theory is, if done correctly, they can boost biodiversity and restore ecosystems with benefits ranging from reducing forest fires to tackling invasive species. But the strategy is controversial. Opponents say some species are no longer suited to certain areas and cause conflict with farmers, adding there is little evidence it works. Proponents admit some well-meaning projects haven’t worked in the past, but insist properly planned rewilding, which has involved all the stakeholders from the start, can be very successful. We take a close look. Lees meer

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/producer: Claire Bates
Series producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Penny Murphy
Sound mix: Gareth Jones

Keeping the Amazon standing

30 januari 2024 · 24 min

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The Amazon is the largest forest in the world, spread across nine countries in South America and home to 47 million people. It’s crucial for the planet’s biodiversity and in the fight against climate change. But vast numbers of trees have been cut down for logging, construction, mining and farming. On this edition of People Fixing The World we meet those who are making a living from the Amazon while keeping the trees standing - through rubber tapping and fruit picking - as well as big companies looking to make more of the fruits, nuts and other natural products. Lees meer

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Julia Carneiro
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Bridget Harney
Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Brazilian entrepreneur Francisco Samonek, BBC/Julia Carneiro)

Fake birds and other stories

26 december 2023 · 24 min

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This week we have a host of great ideas inspired by solutions we've told you about in 2023. Lees meer

We find out how scientists are using fake birds to help populations of seabirds to recover. By putting out model birds in restored habitats they trick the real ones into nesting there.

Then we have the heartwarming tale of Theo – a man in his seventies - and Bickel the dog. We look at how dog sharing can deal with loneliness and bring improved health and happiness.

And we uncover an innovative way of dealing with the scourge of Japanese knotweed - by turning it into paper.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producers: Richard Kenny, Zoe Gelber, Claire Bates
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Bridget Harney
Sound mix: Hal Haines

email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

(Image: Jessica Vagg with a tern decoy, BBC/Richard Kenny)

Making landfill less awful

19 december 2023 · 24 min

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Landfill sites are an icon of our wasteful society and the harm we cause to Planet Earth. Lees meer

But around the world, people are trying to make these filthy places a little bit better.

We visit the human-built island in Singapore made of burned waste that has become a thriving ecosystem.

And in France, we hear how gas leaking from landfill sites is being collected as a source of energy.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/producer: Claire Bowes
Singapore reporter:Tessa Wong
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Bridget Harney
Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

(Image: Semakau island, Singapore National Environment Agency)

The country tackling loneliness

12 december 2023 · 24 min

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Loneliness affects millions of people around the world and can have a significant impact on our mental and physical health. Lees meer

In the Netherlands, they are taking the problem seriously, with a national coalition of organisations all trying to bring people together and build connections.

We visit a youth club teaching teenagers how to overcome shyness and social anxiety. Plus, we drop in on a soup-making session that's bringing the generations together, and breaking down stereotypes.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/producer: Claire Bates
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Bridget Harney
Sound mix: Gareth Jones

email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

(Image:Queen Maxima of the Netherlands at Oma's Soup)

Building a clinic to save a forest

5 december 2023 · 25 min

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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. Lees meer

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.

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

email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

Image: Baby orangutan in Borneo forest

The plastic eaters

28 november 2023 · 24 min

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Every year the world produces 400 million tonnes of plastic – the same weight as all the humans on earth. Lees meer

Only a small proportion of this is recycled, and this isn’t proper recycling but “downcycling” – the new plastic is of a lower quality, meaning that almost all plastic eventually goes to waste.

But now French company Carbios is using enzymes to break plastic down into its chemical building blocks – which can then be used to make high quality plastic again.

So is plastic on the brink of becoming a resource like glass or aluminium, that you can keep on moulding and recycling again and again?

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/producer: William Kremer
Series producer: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Gareth Jones
Editor: Penny Murphy

email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

Fighting period poverty

21 november 2023 · 24 min

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Millions of women around the world lack access to safe and hygienic menstrual products. But there are people trying to change that. Lees meer

We meet the British student who learned to sew in lockdown and started making reusable sanitary pads for refugees. She’s helped distribute tens of thousands of pads and is now training refugee women in Lebanon how to make money by sewing the pads themselves.

We hear about a design project inspired by tea cups which has created an efficient way of washing reusable pads.

And in India we meet the woman who is challenging the stigma around periods with a comic book that’s being read in thousands of schools around the country.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Lorna Acquah
Producer: Lizzy McNeill
Series producer: Tom Colls
Sound mix: Annie Gardiner
Editor: Richard Vadon

email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

Image: Reya, a student in Beirut who is sewing period pads

Sharing the river

14 november 2023 · 24 min

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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. Lees meer

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.

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

Training heroin users to save their friends

7 november 2023 · 24 min

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Heroin users in Scotland are being trained to spot when someone is about to overdose and to step in and help. Lees meer

The training – which includes lessons on how to use the antidote naloxone - is often led by people who have themselves been addicts.

Taxi drivers and police officers are also being trained, and naloxone being widely distributed, as part of a push to save as many lives as possible.

Reporter Craig Langran investigates whether the approach is working.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer: Craig Langran
Series producer: Tom Colls
Sound mix: Annie Gardiner and Hal Haines
Editor: Penny Murphy

Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

Image: Wez, who trains heroin users how to administer naloxone

Disaster zone innovators

31 oktober 2023 · 24 min

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In the midst of a crisis, sometimes the solution you need isn’t obvious. Today we meet the inventors who found fascinating fixes amid the chaos and destruction of disasters. Lees meer

We visit the hospital that was painstakingly constructed inside a train, to treat Ukrainian civilians in a war zone.

We follow a team in Fiji who have created a mobile workshop, designed to travel to remote villages after natural disasters and repair and make items on the spot.

Finally we look at a medical robot that could soon treat injured people in places it’s too dangerous for human rescuers to enter.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/Producer: Claire Bates
Series producer: Tom Colls
Sound mix: Gareth Jones
Editor: Penny Murphy
Picture: University of Sheffield AMRC

Sea cucumbers fixing the world

24 oktober 2023 · 24 min

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Meet the oceans’ unsung hero - the humble sea cucumber. An animal in the same family as starfish that looks like a lumpy sausage and lives on the ocean floor could help with some of the impact of global warming, pollution from fish farms and damage from the fishing industry that are threatening some of the oceans most important ecosystems. Lees meer

We meet the Australian researchers using drones to count the cucumbers to understand how their poo is helping coral reefs. And in Madagascar, we speak to the local communities which are learning to sustainably farm the creature, protecting the seas and increasing their income along the way.

Repeat - originally broadcast in February 2023.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/Reporter: Lizzy McNeill
Series producer: Tom Colls
Sound mix: Annie Gardiner
Editor: Penny Murphy

Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

(Image: Sea cucumbers. Credit: Getty Images)

Stopping suicide

17 oktober 2023 · 26 min

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More than 400 people in Ireland took their own lives in 2022. In Limerick, helicopters are often heard flying above the city in search of missing people in the River Shannon. Lees meer

But in response to this tragic situation, a group has sprung up to patrol the Shannon in the evenings to speak with people who are feeling desperate. Katie Flannery joins them on a Saturday night to see how they work and to hear their stories.

We also hear about a law that is under consideration in several US states, which would allow people with mental health problems to voluntarily put themselves on a do-not-sell list for firearms.

This programme contains discussion of suicide and suicide attempts. If you feel affected by this topic, you can speak to someone who can help. Go to befrienders.org to find a crisis phone line where you live.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Katie Flannery
Producer: William Kremer
Series producer: Tom Colls
Sound mix: Gareth Jones
Editor: Penny Murphy

Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

Image: Limerick Suicide Watch