People Fixing The World

Latest Episodes:

Saving Chile's urban wetlands May 12, 2026

Show notes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The SafeBox May 02, 2026

Show notes

The group carrying on investigations when journalists are silenced.

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

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

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

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

The secrets of greywater Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

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

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

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

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

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

Arrows of hope Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

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.

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

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

Back from the brink: Uganda’s gentle giants Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fashion without barriers Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

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.

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)

Empowering the LGBT community Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

**This episode contains one instance of offensive language

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

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

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

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

The Kindergarten makeover Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

How mums are helping transform early years education in Ghana.

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

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

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)

Making cities feel quieter Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

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.

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

(Image: traffic jam in Delhi, Getty Images)

The power of poetry Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

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!

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)