People Fixing the World
Episodes
Kangaroo care for premature babies
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Premature babies often need a lot of expensive specialised care - but that isn’t always available. So, doctors in Colombia are teaching mothers to l...
Redefining luxury fashion
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The fashion industry is the third largest manufacturing industry in the world consuming huge amounts of the world’s resources and contributing to gr...
How literacy can change a life
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Learning to read empowers people, reduces poverty and increases their job chances. Yet more than 700 miliion adults are illiterate, the majority of th...
The power of music
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ab...
Greener ways to feed the world
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Transforming the global food system is vital in the fight against climate change. Currently, food production accounts for a third of all greenhouse ga...
Magic mushrooms and mental health
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Could psychedelic drugs help in the treatment of mental health conditions? We look at pioneering research into psilocybin, the active ingredient in so...
Speaking up at work
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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. Ofte...
Clever ways to get kids learning
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Schools across Senegal have discovered a clever way for children to surf the web even when there isn't any signal.They're using a special WIFI hotspot...
Bringing dead languages back to life
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Australia used to be one of the most linguistically diverse places, with over 200 languages. Today, many of Australia’s indigenous languages are con...
Making life easier for older people
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Barcelona in Spain is famous for its beautiful streets, lined with tall apartment buildings. But the architecture is a problem for many people who hav...
Overcoming stigma
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of People Fixing The World we meet people who’ve helped overcome long-standing cultural biases to create better outcomes for everyon...
Rewilding Earth
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From beavers in the UK to bison in Romania and jaguars in Argentina, ecologists around the world are reintroducing animals that once flourished in par...
Keeping the Amazon standing
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 pla...
Fake birds and other stories
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we have a host of great ideas inspired by solutions we've told you about in 2023.We find out how scientists are using fake birds to help pop...
Making landfill less awful
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Landfill sites are an icon of our wasteful society and the harm we cause to Planet Earth.But around the world, people are trying to make these filthy ...
The country tackling loneliness
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Loneliness affects millions of people around the world and can have a significant impact on our mental and physical health.In the Netherlands, they ar...
Building a clinic to save a forest
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do you stop people chopping down precious rainforest? In the Indonesian part of Borneo, researchers for a conservation charity discovered that loc...
The plastic eaters
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every year the world produces 400 million tonnes of plastic – the same weight as all the humans on earth.Only a small proportion of this is recycled...
Fighting period poverty
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Millions of women around the world lack access to safe and hygienic menstrual products. But there are people trying to change that.We meet the British...
Sharing the river
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ve...
Training heroin users to save their friends
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Heroin users in Scotland are being trained to spot when someone is about to overdose and to step in and help.The training – which includes lessons o...
Disaster zone innovators
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Sea cucumbers fixing the world
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 oc...
Stopping suicide
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 peop...
AI for good
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial intelligence can sometimes provoke fear and anxiety. Will it take away our jobs? Will it take over the world? So it’s important to recogn...
Coconuts fixing the world
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We eat millions of tonnes of coconuts every year - with the dense white flesh of the fruit making a tasty snack and the juice a refreshing drink.But t...
Surviving earthquakes
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Earthquakes strike suddenly, leaving death and destruction in their wake. But around the world, people are trying to do what they can to make them les...
Shockwaves for the heart
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases are the biggest killer in the world, causing 18 million deaths globally every year.Cardiologists and h...
Genetic problem-solving
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From crops that grow faster to rice that could stop children going blind - the world is full of genetically modified products waiting to come onto the...
Female farmers fighting sexism
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Bangladesh, there’s an app helping female farmers to get a fairer price for their crop.At the market, women farmers often face sexism, and strugg...
Surprising solar
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The fast growth of solar power is a success story in the fight against climate change. However, in some countries progress is being stymied by opposit...
The bubble barrier cleaning up rivers
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How can we stop plastic flowing into our oceans? Dutch inventors have one solution, pulling plastic from the water using a ‘net’ made from bubbles...
Eating invasive species
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All across the world, invasive species are on the march. These are plants and animals that take over new areas, throwing nature out of balance. If lef...
The game that fixes cities
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In cities across Japan and the Philippines, an app called Tekkon is making data collection cool.It's a Pokemon GO-style game which pays people with cr...
The power of a backstory
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do you care for someone properly in a hospital or care home if you don’t know who they are?With US hospitals and care homes seeing fast turnover...
Fighting the heat
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As climate change leads to global temperature rises, cities around the world are being faced with extreme levels of heat. This can bring whole cities ...
Turning mud into ‘clean’ concrete
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A young scientist has developed a white powder which gives waste soil concrete-like properties.Gnanli Landrou grew up in Togo, helping his neighbours ...
Palm oil that’s better for wildlife
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is it possible for palm oil plantations, wildlife and the rainforest to happily coexist?Products containing palm oil, including soaps and cosmetics, a...
Catching the ‘bike bus’
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How can you get kids to school safely in a way that’s good for the environment and gives them some exercise too? We find out how kids from Spain ...
What to do with an empty mall?
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 cl...
Helping elephants and humans get along
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As humanity expands further and further into the wild areas of the world, they are increasingly coming into conflict with the creatures that live ther...
Dementia friendly neighbourhoods
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do you help older people, and particularly those with dementia, to remain independent for longer? In Singapore, where dementia affects roughly 1 i...
Making peace with nature
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many of the world’s most violent conflicts happen in the midst of some of its most valuable natural wildernesses. But protecting these areas’ biod...
Menopause mentors
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The menopause is something half the world’s population goes through. But despite this, it’s still not much talked about - and in some places, rema...
Fighting corruption in schools
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Paraguay, like much of the world, has a problem with corruption. But a project in the country is trying to change that, by starting with the next gene...
The hidden powers of bacteria
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many people associate bacteria with dirt and disease. But a lot of bacteria are good for us. And scientists around the world are using them to help u...
Work: Access for all
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
La Casa de Carlota isn’t like most workplaces. The design studio, based in Barcelona, Spain, employs creatives who have intellectual disabilities, a...
Kangaroo care for premature babies
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Premature babies often need a lot of expensive specialised care - but that isn’t always available. So, doctors in Colombia are teaching mothers to l...
Sports fan solutions
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Football in Germany had a big problem with violent, racist, far-right supporters. But a social innovation, organised and run by fans, has been credite...
The people fixing childcare
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A good childcare system is essential in most modern economies. Yet in many countries, childcare is only available to the wealthy, and the burden of ca...
Stopping harassment on public transport
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Harassment and violence on public transport is a global issue. We look at initiatives aiming to make commuting safer.In Indonesia, we take a ride on t...
Endometriosis: The search for solutions
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Reporter Rosie Blunt spent years getting help for her endometriosis - a condition which has symptoms including debilitating pain and infertility.She's...
Challenging attitudes to disability
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Across the African continent, people with disabilities are often stigmatised. The discrimination they face can impact their ability to go to school, f...
Getting refugees out of tents
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
More than 100 million people have been forcibly displaced from their home around the world – fleeing conflict, natural disasters or persecution. Mil...
Sea cucumbers fixing the world
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the oceans’ unsung hero.Human activity is having a huge impact on the world’s oceans - global warming, pollution from fish farms and damage f...
The ring that could help save women’s lives
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of women are infected with HIV every week in Africa. Many can't persuade their partners to wear a condom, so it was hoped that a new form of...
Turning waste into power
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Food waste from hotels and the heat from computers are being used to provide new sources of energy.In the fight against climate change, it is of vital...
The healing power of forests
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the people using the healing power of forests to help improve physical and mental health. In forest therapy, people are taken into the woods and ...
Plants fighting pollution
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Clearing up pollution can be a messy and expensive task, but around the world people are harnessing the power of plants to do the job for them.We hear...
Bringing dead languages back to life
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Australia used to be one of the most linguistically diverse places, with over 200 languages. Today, many of Australia’s indigenous languages are co...
Fighting the megadrought
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chile is in the midst of a “megadrought” – year after year of low rainfall which has turned farmland to desert and left communities struggling t...
Micro-homes and sobercoins
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A charity in the UK is building temporary wooden homes with just three small rooms. The idea is to give people who’ve been sleeping rough or living ...
Grannies fixing the world
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In many communities grandmothers have a great influence on their families and communities. In Senegal we visit a project using grandmothers to give vi...
Board games fixing the world
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can playing board games help us fix real-world problems?All around the world, people play board games for fun. But in recent years, a new generation o...
Sleep solutions
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The amount of sleep you get makes a huge difference to your life – don’t get enough and it can harm your health, productivity and decision making....
The body suit that stops muscle spasms
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 2021 a video clip showing a seemingly magical bodysuit when viral on the internet. The clip showed a man who suffered constant convulsions quelling...
The World Cup of football solutions
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the World Cup kicks off in Qatar, we look at the initiatives around the world which are using football as a way to solve problems off the pitch. We...
Jobs for girls
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How hard is it for women to break into male-dominated jobs? We look at two projects which are helping women to increase their earnings by training the...
COP27: Growing a forest the right way
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tree-planting schemes don’t always work, so what’s the best way to do forest restoration?Projects around the world are planting huge numbers of tr...
Picking up healthcare with the litter
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Would you pick up litter if your life depended on it? Around the world, companies and governments are trying to incentivise people to pick up litter a...
Albatrosses and oysters fixing the world
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Giant seabirds and shellfish are being used to help protect our planet.On an tiny island in the remote Southern Ocean, a French researcher wanted to f...
Educating refugees
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do you help young displaced people get a better start in life?Young people who become refugees often have their education disrupted – which can ...
Sustainability in death
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A growing number of people are looking for ways to be sustainable in death as well as life. We look at the latest end-of-life options aiming to be mor...
Ending road deaths
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Road traffic injuries are the eighth biggest cause of death in the world, with about 1.3m people killed every year.But 25 years ago, a movement starte...
Dads on duty
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When 23 pupils were arrested after a series of fights at a school in the US city of Shreveport, a small band of parents decided to help the beleaguere...
The food waste warriors
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At least a third of food grown around the world fails to be eaten, with the resulting food waste causing 10 per cent of global carbon emissions. Howe...
How to get people eating less meat
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Farming animals for meat has a massive environmental impact, both in terms of land use and carbon emissions. But in order for people to eat less meat...
Robots on the beat
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Police forces in the US are turning to futuristic technology to tackle a rise in violent crime and murder across the country. In one area of Califor...
Hands-Off Health Tech
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We look at two new pieces of health technology which allow medics to treat people without touching them. Breast cancer fatality rates in India are hig...
What 3D printing can fix
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The ability to print objects in three dimensions has been heralded as the solutions to many problems. We check out some of the latest innovations. In ...
Fighting fashion waste
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our desire for new clothes creates a lot of waste and much of it ends up in landfill. But a lot of that discarded material can be turned into somethin...
How to fix democracy
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Politics in the age of social media can often be angry and divisive. And many people feel their voices aren’t being heard by those in power. But Pol...
Getting refugees out of tents
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
More than 100 million people have been forcibly displaced from their home around the world – fleeing conflict, natural disasters or persecution. Mil...
Using finance to fight homelessness
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bank accounts and clever investment schemes are being used to help improve the lives of homeless people. In the UK, a number of banks have started o...
Saving kids with cancer
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If your child develops cancer and you live in a wealthy country there’s a really good chance they will survive - more than 80%. If you live elsewher...
The power of group therapy
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Therapy has been helping Boko Haram survivors and street youth in Liberia turn their lives around. In northern Nigeria, a programme called Counselli...
Keeping medicines cool
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How enzymes and earthen pots could help keep medicines safe. Access to life-saving medicines often relies on a complex system known as the cold-chai...
The future of wind power
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Could floating wind turbines and kites that generate electricity help fight climate change? There are lots of innovative new ways people are harness...
Getting kids out of institutions
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
More than five million children live in orphanages or other institutions - the vast majority in low or middle income countries. Staff are often over...
Racing to get kids reading
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How a race to write books and a gadget that counts words are helping child literacy. In South Africa 8 out of 10 children struggle to read by the ag...
The library where the books are people
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At the human library you borrow a person you wouldn’t usually meet for a half-hour frank conversation. The volunteers have various book titles from ...
Safer cities for women
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Street harassment and violence against women in public spaces is a global issue. According to one survey, 84% of women in cities around the world repo...
Helping teenagers become good mums
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Being a teenage mum is not easy. But innovative projects around the world are trying to help. We hear from Sierra Leone, where the 2 Young Lives pro...
Turning mud into ‘clean’ concrete
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A young scientist has developed a white powder which gives waste soil concrete-like properties. Gnanli Landrou grew up in Togo, helping his neighbou...
Robots fixing sewers
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Robots that navigate sewer pipes are being used to find leaks and blockages in an ancient water system. They’re being put to work in Pune, India, ...
Using lotteries to make us better people
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Lotteries aren’t just about winning money. They’re also being used to nudge people to change their behaviour.In the UK we try out a mobile app tha...
Work: Access for all
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
La Casa de Carlota isn’t like most workplaces. The design studio, based in Barcelona, Spain, employs creatives who have intellectual disabilities, a...
Sponge cities that fight flooding
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sponge cities use natural features to slow down, soak up and reuse flood water. Yu Kongjian nearly drowned as a boy when his village flooded, but it i...
Turning tyres into cheap fuel & football pitches
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the entrepreneurs using scrap rubber to fuel cars and make new tyres.Each year, over a billion car tyres reach the end of their life.They’re no...
Saving California’s butterflies
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In California, butterflies such as the monarch are critically endangered as a result of habitat erosion, pesticides, and climate change. But many peop...