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 us do all sorts of useful things like recycle, clean up waste and produce food. We find out how bacteria are salvaging metal from electronic waste. We taste the protein-rich food additive that is made from bacteria. Plus, we explore how bacteria are helping to reduce the impact of farming on the environment. Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Rosie Blunt Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny Murphy Thanks to Prof Sebastien Farnaud, Coventry University Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: Computer illustration of bacteria (Getty images)

La Casa de Carlota isn’t like most workplaces. The design studio, based in Barcelona, Spain, employs creatives who have intellectual disabilities, autism and schizophrenia. Working together with non-disabled colleagues, they produce striking graphics for campaigns and packaging, as well as original works of art. This isn’t a government-backed scheme to help out a disadvantaged group, but a winning formula that is helping the studio forge a unique brand. In this programme we look at two companies who have realised there is strength in neurodiversity and hear from Natalie Duo from the charity Mencap. The vast majority of people with learning disabilities are unemployed, so how can other businesses can follow suit? Programme originally broadcast in April 2022. Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: William Kremer Executive producer: Tom Colls Editor: Penny Murphy Image: Casa de Carlota

Premature babies often need a lot of expensive specialised care - but that isn’t always available. So, doctors in Colombia are teaching mothers to look after their babies in a similar way that kangaroos look after their own young. It’s called "kangaroo mother care" and instead of being in an incubator, babies are wrapped tightly against their mother’s skin. The technique was developed in Bogota in the late 1970s as a response to overcrowding in hospital maternity units. There weren't enough incubators and around 70% of premature babies didn’t survive. Doctors started using this simple skin-to-skin method. They found it wasn't only saving babies lives but was helping them to thrive. Now kangaroo care has spread around the world. Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Zoe Gelber Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Richard Vadon Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: A baby in the kangaroo position

Football in Germany had a big problem with violent, racist, far-right supporters. But a social innovation, organised and run by fans, has been credited with helping to change the dynamic in the stands. “Fan projects” attract young fans with the promise of youth clubs and cheap transport to games. We go to a game with a fan project in Dresden to see how it works. And from the US, we hear how one woman is on a mission to make ice hockey more accessible to black women. Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Jessica Bateman Producer: Ann Hepburn Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Richard Vadon Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: Ronald Beć

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 care falls disproportionately on women - effectively barring them from the workforce. People often point to Scandinavian countries as the gold standard in childcare, but in other corners of the world people are working with women and communities to set up affordable childcare solutions - enabling mothers at the bottom of the income scale get back into the workforce and helping children get a head start. We travel to Burkina Faso to visit a project that brings mobile childcare to parents working as outdoor manual labourers – to benefit both the economy, children's safety and ensuring future generation get access to education. And we visit Nairobi’s informal settlements, where one company is breathing new life into existing childcare centres. Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/Reporter: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Tom Colls Sound Mix: Gareth Jones Editor: Penny Murphy Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: Childcare in Kenya (Credit: Daniel Macharia, Kidogo)

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 the Pink Bus which serves only female passengers. The city has one the most dangerous transportations systems in the world for women, with high levels of harassment. The scheme hopes to provide them with a safer journey. And in Germany, we look at a new kind of CCTV that uses artificial intelligence to spot aggressive situations in real-time that’s soon to be trialled on trains in Germany. The company behind the technology says it could transform safety on the railways. Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Farhana Haider Indonesia reporter: Nicky Widadio Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Neva Missirian Editor: Richard Vadon Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: The Pink Bus (Getty Images)

Reporter Rosie Blunt spent years getting help for her endometriosis - a condition which has symptoms including debilitating pain and infertility. She's on a quest to find new ways of treating the disease and bringing down diagnosis time. That mission takes her to Hungary to test out a medical centre that doubles as a thermal spa and meet Adrienn Salamon, who has created an app that's helping women get the information they need for an earlier diagnosis. Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Rosie Blunt Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Gareth Jones Editor: Penny Murphy Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: Adrienn Salamon

Across the African continent, people with disabilities are often stigmatised. The discrimination they face can impact their ability to go to school, find a job and even to feel safe. We look at the projects trying to change people’s attitudes and help people with disabilities flourish. We speak to Lilian Dibo Eyong, who is trying to change attitudes to people with disabilities in Cameroon. In Uganda, we visit the “silent café” - which is run by deaf people and you order in sign language. And we test out a virtual reality game designed in Nigeria that’s helping people understand what it’s like being a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporters: Eric Mugaju and Craig Langran Producer: Ann Hepburn Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny Murphy Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: Lilian Dibo Eyong

More than 100 million people have been forcibly displaced from their home around the world – fleeing conflict, natural disasters or persecution. Millions end up in refugee camps, living in tents. Around the world, designers and architects are trying to improve the lives of these displaced people, by improving the temporary homes they’re living in. From prefabricated shelters made using Swedish flat-pack design methods, to the homes made from scratch using local knowledge and materials, we meet the people trying to replace tents with homes that have a little more dignity. This is an updated repeat from August 2022. Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/Producer: Farhana Haider Producer: William Kremer Syria Producer: Ali Haj Suleiman Production Co-ordinator: Ibtisam Zein Sound mix: Hal Haines Executive producer: Tom Colls Editor: Penny Murphy Photo credit: Ali Haj Suleiman Description: Kafirjalas IDP camp Idlib, Syria

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 from the fishing industry are all threatening some of the oceans most important ecosystems. But one creature might be able to help. The humble sea cucumber – an animal in the same family as starfish that looks like a lumpy sausage and lives on the ocean floor. We meet the Australian researchers using drones to count the cucumbers to understand how their poo is helping coral reefs. And in Madagascar, we speak to the local communities which are learning to sustainably farm the creature, protecting the seas and increasing their income along the way. Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/Reporter: Lizzy McNeill Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Annie Gardiner Editor: Penny Murphy Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: Sea cucumbers (Getty Images)