People Fixing The World

Latest Episodes:

How to make cities better for everyone Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to reuse and repair Jul 13, 2026

Show notes

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

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

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

Finding hidden entrepreneurs Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

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

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

(Photo: Myra Anubi with Frankii Panchoo in Liverpool)

Living longer, living better Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

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

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

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

Freeing modern slaves Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

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

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

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

Show less Release date:23 June 2026 23 minutes

Snakebite solutions Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

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

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

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

Ending violence against women Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

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

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

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

Slow down! Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

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

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

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

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

The dogs that bring hope May 26, 2026

Show notes

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

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

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

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

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

How to thrive with ADHD May 19, 2026

Show notes

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

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

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