People Fixing the World

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 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 ecotourism. 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 Image:

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 will give residents the chance to live their lives with a greater sense of freedom and also a chance to find community. 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, BBC)

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. And to achieve results they are hoping to wake the “sleeping giants” of education - the country’s mothers and fathers. 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 Chaudury 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: Mintuu 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 — 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)