People Fixing the World

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, who encouraged overseas adoptions to reduce poverty. A network of adoption brokers, hospital staff, social workers, judges, priests and nuns facilitated this trafficking. 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 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. 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)