People Fixing the World

This week we’re in Rwanda, where some men are getting lessons teaching them how to look after their babies. As well as promoting gender equality it's helping to reduce the high levels of violence women there experience at the hands of their husbands and partners. People Fixing the World meets the people taking part and finds out how it works and what difference it’s making. Reporter Lily Freeston Executive Producer Nick Holland(Photo Credit: BBC)

It’s a flightless bird on the edge of extinction, but a team in New Zealand is trying to stop it from going the way of the dodo. The kakapo is a large parrot that was once common in New Zealand. But its inability to fly, strong smell and habit of freezing when attacked made it easy to hunt for both human settlers and the animals they introduced. By the mid-1990s there were only 51 left. The remaining birds were moved to an island and a recovery operation began – looking at every aspect of the animals’ lives to try to boost the population. Twenty-five years on and the kakapo are at the centre of an elaborate breeding programme. There are monitors that measure the jiggle of mating birds, “smart eggs” to replace the ones removed for rearing and even a sperm-carrying drone. People Fixing the World looks at what it takes to bring a bird back from the brink. Presenter: Tom Colls Reporter: Alison Balance(Photo caption: A kakapo / Photo credit: Jake Osborne, New Zealand Department of Conservation)

“Fabulous idea” or “waste of money”? Clever observations from our audience about solutions we’ve covered on People Fixing the World. Many are funny and offer fresh perspectives. Regular listeners will know that as well as podcasts, we also make videos that we post on social media. Our viewers love to comment and ask questions, and this episode is made up of these thoughts. Among the solutions coming under public scrutiny today are The Dog Poo Detectives, Electric Trucks and The Glasses Made From Coffee. Presenters Nick Holland and Kat Hawkins get through as many reviews as possible. There are some good ones, some bad ones and a few stinkers.

An idea used in video games is helping LGBTQ people in the Middle East talk safely online. Coming out can be particularly hard, especially if there are no support groups to go to. As a result, the internet is sometimes the only place people feel they can be open about their sexuality, seek advice, and meet like-minded people. But in some countries, opening up on websites to people you’ve never met can expose you to blackmail, surveillance, even police entrapment and prosecution. So one woman has come up with a solution - she has built a website that uses gaming software to protect its users. We hear from her and users who say the site has transformed their lives.Produced by Jo Mathys

People living in this block of flats sign a contract to socialise together for at least two hours a week. The new housing experiment in Sweden is aimed at the two age groups most likely to feel lonely: under-25s and pensioners. A former home for the elderly has been given a revamp, creating plenty of communal areas designed to encourage mingling between the different generations.While loneliness can happen wherever you live, it is a big talking point in Sweden where more than half of all households only have one occupant and it is common to rent an apartment by yourself as soon as you leave school.Maddy Savage meets tenants taking part in the shared living experiment and looks at other solutions designed to help young Swedes who are lonely.Reporter: Maddy Savage(Photo Credit: BBC)

Men and boys are being taught how to tackle some of the uncomfortable truths about everyday sexism. Many don’t realise the extent of the problem - cat-calling, unwelcome comments and dominating behaviour are all things that women across the world put up with on a daily basis. This week’s solution looks at a project called the Good Lad Initiative in the UK, which is trying to help men understand why it happens and how they can help change things. It also helps them to improve their relationships with other men and challenge traditional values.Robbie Wojciechowski meets ambassadors for the group as they train and he finds out how positive masculinity workshops are creating communities of men who want to help in the fight for equality. Produced by Robbie Wojciechowski for BBC World Service. (Photo credit: Good Lad Initiative)

If exercise were a drug, almost every single person on Earth would be prescribed it in the later years of their lives. The health benefits for older people are massive – it can help reduce the risk of dementia, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, depression, heart disease and more. But not enough older people are getting the benefits of this “miracle cure” – as the UK and Ireland’s Academy of Medical Royal Colleges describe it. They are living out their retirements suffering from chronic illnesses, while health services struggle with the costs of looking after an aging population. Where there’s a problem, though, People Fixing the World finds a solution. Around the world, imaginative projects are springing up to try to get older people exercising. We hear from veteran cheerleaders in South Korea, walking footballers in the UK and the mayor giving out free gym vouchers in Finland. Reporters: Tom Colls, Olivia Lang and Erika Benke(Photo Caption: An older person exercising / Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Women in Uganda are learning how to treat their neighbours for depression. That’s because there aren’t enough resources for professional care, especially for people from poor backgrounds. An organisation called StrongMinds sets up group therapy sessions across the country, and when clients come out of depression, some are trained to run courses for other women. People Fixing the World visits a session in Kampala to see how it works and meet women whose lives have changed dramatically. Produced by Reha Kansara for the BBC World Service(Photo credit: Kwagala DeLovie)

What if all the energy used at the gym was directed towards helping others, rather than lifting useless weights and running nowhere on a treadmill? That thought struck Ivo Gormley 10 years ago. So instead of running on a treadmill, he started running to see an elderly person twice a week. A few friends liked his idea, and the Good Gym was born. Today, you can find the organisation in more than 50 areas across the UK. It combines fitness with volunteering. One of its activities involves younger members running to visit older people - both groups can be at risk of feeling lonely and isolated, particularly in big cities. People are also invited to work on community projects - a group runs to the job together, helps out, then runs back. It has been particularly successful at attracting women who tend to exercise less than men. Reporter Dina Newman (Photo credit: Good Gym)

As thousands of people are moved in the evacuation of the area around the Taal volcano in the Philippines, Ecuador - which has more than 20 active volcanoes - is looking at how to protect people there. A scientist based in Quito has designed a system to forecast dangerous activity. The Red Cross is working closely with him, so they can now warn people of potential disaster further in advance - giving a bigger time window in which to move themselves and livestock, and get medical backup in place.It is part of a radical rethink in the way humanitarian aid is delivered, using forecasts to give people more warning and help them prepare before nature strikes. But funding a project like this means asking donors to donate cash to a disaster which may never happen. Reporter Jo Mathys (Photo credit: Red Cross)