Small Changes
Small Changes is a podcast series of one-on-one interviews with people who've seen a problem in the world and set out to change it – often in small and unexpected ways
Episodes
Weekend: episode two of a new podcast
Ease into the weekend with our brand new podcast, showcasing some of the best Guardian and Observer writing from the week, read by talented narrators. In this episode, Marina Hyde looks at the new additions to Downing Street (2m00s), Hadley Freeman interviews Hollywood actor Will Arnett (9m56s), Sirin Kale tries her hand at quiz show Mastermind (26m32s), and David Robson examines why we’re so stressed about stress (41m08s). If you like what you hear, subscribe to Weekend on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
01/04/22•49m 39s
Weekend: episode one of a new podcast
Ease into the weekend with our brand new podcast, showcasing some of the best Guardian and Observer writing from the week, read by talented narrators. In our first episode, Marina Hyde reflects on another less than stellar week for Boris Johnson (1m38s), Edward Helmore charts the rise of Joe Rogan (9m46s), Laura Snapes goes deep with singer George Ezra (18m30s), and Alex Moshakis asks, “Are you a jerk at work?” (34m40s). If you like what you hear, subscribe to Weekend on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts
05/02/22•48m 45s
Comfort Eating with Grace Dent: episode one of a new podcast
Have you ever wondered what famous people actually eat? In our new podcast, Guardian restaurant critic Grace Dent does just that, asking well-known guests to lift the lid on the food they turn to when they’re at home alone – and what comfort foods have seen them through their lives. In the first episode, screenwriter Russell T Davies tells Grace about his childhood in Swansea, the delights of Woolworth’s pork and egg pies, and how his husband’s death informed his latest TV series, It’s a Sin. Future guests will include Nish Kumar, Rafe Spall and Aisling Bea. Episodes willl be released every Tuesday – search for it wherever you get your podcasts
01/07/21•39m 46s
Reverberate: episode 1 of our new series
The Guardian has launched a new series called Reverberate that we think you’ll like. Each week, Chris Michael will explore incredible stories from around the world about when music shook history. In the first episode, we hear from Kashy Keegan, an unknown singer-songwriter in a sleepy English town who became the voice of Hong Kong’s nascent pro-democracy movement. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to hear the rest of the series
08/02/21•25m 34s
Innermost: another episode of our new series
We wanted to bring you another episode from our Innermost series. In the last episode of our first season, two callers tell Leah Green how their relationships sent them down unexpected paths, one with criminal consequences Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to hear the rest of the series
03/08/20•20m 21s
Innermost: episode 1 of a new series
The Guardian has launched a new series called Innermost that we think you will like. Each week, callers will tell Leah Green what’s going on behind closed doors. In the first episode, we hear how an uncle’s funeral and meals with an emotionally distant brother help James and Jess think about their families in new and unexpected ways. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to hear the rest of the series
25/06/20•16m 34s
'The blood lady': the medical start-up founder saving lives in Nigeria
When Temie Giwa-Tubosun realised Nigerians lacked safe access to vital health care products like blood she decided to do something about it. That decision changed her life and saved those of many others
19/12/18•18m 41s
'What happened to me will not happen to my daughters': sexual violence in war
Kosovan-born Vasfije Krasniqi-Goodman explains how a survivors’ network has empowered her and others to speak out against rape as a weapon of conflict
12/12/18•17m 48s
Defying the Taliban: Afghanistan's secret schools for girls
Suraya Pakzad talks to Lucy Lamble about her work championing girls’ education – and living on red alert for the next Taliban raid
05/12/18•18m 50s
'I live in the 21st century, not the 10th': the first female judge in a sharia court
The Judge, a new film by award-winning director Erika Cohn, tells the incredible story of how Kholoud Al-Faqih achieved her improbable dream of representing women in the Middle East’s all-male religious courts
28/11/18•18m 15s
'Suddenly you have to run for your life': a film-maker's take on life in Sudan
Award-winning director Hajooj Kuka on the realities of life in a wartorn country, and the inspiration for aKasha, his first feature film
21/11/18•19m 47s
‘My father's murderers are still free’: taking on Mexico's violent underworld
Investigative journalist Anabel Hernández has risked her life to expose corruption at the heart of her country’s violent ‘drug wars’. She tells Lucy Lamble why staying silent is not an option
14/11/18•22m 4s
'Disability is not the end of the world': reinventing yourself after becoming blind
Activist Christophe Oulé had a glittering career in engineering in Burkina Faso when he lost his sight. Now he campaigns tirelessly to improve the lives of other blind people. He talks to Lucy Lamble
07/11/18•15m 9s
'It's a long fight': the communities devastated by Brazil's dam collapse
Three years after the country’s worst environmental disaster, in which 19 people died, Lucy Lamble hears how Letícia Oliveira is still campaigning for justice for the people affected
31/10/18•13m 40s
Capital offence: tackling harassment on public transport in Bogotá
In Colombia’s capital, many women are reliant on buses. Ángela Anzola and the city’s mayor want transport designed by men to be safer for women
24/10/18•16m 30s
'Inequality is a poison': campaigning for Muslim women's rights
Shahin Ashraf’s experience growing up as a British Muslim has led to a life campaigning for gender equality around the world
17/10/18•15m 14s
Fighting for LGBT rights in a country where lesbians are caned
Criminalised by the state and targeted by vigilantes, Malaysia’s LGBT community faces rampant persecution. Thi Laga, a co-founder of rights group Justice for Sisters, has become a leading figure in the fightback
10/10/18•15m 49s
Fighting the advance of the desert: the forest maker of the Sahel
The Australian agronomist Tony Rinaudo reveals the secrets that brought about extraordinary results in dozens of countries, from Senegal to Ethiopia
03/10/18•17m 16s
The Mosul historian who risked his life to blog about life under Isis
When his beloved city was occupied by Islamic State, Iraqi Omar Mohammed was determined to document every atrocity – as anonymous blogger Mosul Eye
26/09/18•16m 59s
'I'm a living manifestation of possibility': South Africa's emissary on disability
Eddie Ndopu defied expectations as the first African with a disability to graduate from Oxford. Now he wants to be the first wheelchair user in space
19/09/18•21m 45s
'It came at a great cost but it was worth it': Bangladesh protests
Our guest this week is a teenager who was involved in mass demonstrations in Dhaka that were sparked after two children were killed by a bus
12/09/18•15m 50s
'Dance has done so much for me': the leader of Kenya's slum ballet school
Mike Wamaya discusses how performing ballet helps children transcend the chaos and violence of life in Kibera
22/08/18•19m 25s
'Girls who leave militias get rejected': helping child soldiers go home
Lucy Lamble talks to Sandra Olsson from Child Soldiers International, who works with girls formerly caught up in armed groups in Democratic Republic of the Congo as they struggle to settle back in their communities
15/08/18•16m 33s
The football-loving lawyer moving the goalposts for girls’ rights in Kenya
After studying human rights law, Fatuma Abdulkadir Adan returned to her hometown to promote peace and champion women’s rights – through ball skills and teamwork
08/08/18•19m 16s
'I was always a rebel who stood up for my rights': rise of a Tunisian activist
When protests in Tunisia sparked revolution across the region and in the Middle East, Aya Chebbi found her political voice
01/08/18•20m 34s
How opera found an open ear in South Africa's townships
Critic Shirley Apthorp was inspired by Venezuela’s use of music to empower communities but realised the post-apartheid generation needed a change of key to unlock an artform so associated with a white elite
25/07/18•19m 22s
Resistance 101: the video game going to war on malaria
To fight this disease you need creativity, says Marlize Coleman, whose innovation teaches health workers the best way to zap mosquitoes
18/07/18•16m 18s
The cashless taxi system that's reducing Rwanda's traffic accidents
Entrepreneur Karanvir Singh has come up with a cashless system for motorbike taxis to help passengers get a fair deal – and improve road safety
11/07/18•14m 48s
The Palestinian engineer using ashes and rubble to rebuild Gaza
Young social entrepreneur Majd Mashharawi talks about how she transforms the debris left by conflict into eco-friendly housing materials, helping people reconstruct their lives
04/07/18•17m 24s
'Half of Indian children are sexually abused': a survivor speaks out
Award-winning social activist, TEDx speaker and filmmaker Insia Dariwala talks about her hopes for a world where boys and girls can be safe and free
27/06/18•19m 46s
The doctor from Myanmar faced with 1 million patients and a plague of rats
When disaster struck his community in remote Chin state, Dr SaSa rushed to help – and found himself trying to treat 400 people a day
20/06/18•19m 49s
Executed, disappeared, tortured: the risks of defending human rights
In the climate of fear following the murder of activist Berta Cáceres in Honduras, Lucy Lamble talks to Ana Paula Hernández about her work supporting campaigners who fight to protect native lands
30/05/18•19m 45s
'Every girl is forced by our culture into FGM': battling for change in Kenya
From rescuing girls from female genital mutilation to championing women’s political rights, Leah Chebet Psiya is breaking down barriers in her Pokot community in eastern Kenya
23/05/18•19m 14s
'Children were dying of hunger': the doctor fighting for Ecuador's poor – podcast
Medic turned health activist Dr Erika Arteaga-Cruz has vowed to remedy the country’s poor record on treatment for communities in dire need
16/05/18•18m 39s
Could this man end the 35-year tyranny of Cameroon's President Biya?
Despite never having held political office, lawyer Akere Muna is on a mission to fight corruption by standing for election as Cameroon’s leader
09/05/18•18m 48s
'It's everywhere – in factories, in the bedroom': fighting India's gender violence
Against the backdrop of #MeToo and the country’s infamous rape cases, Lucy Lamble talks to activist Seema Nair about her work empowering Indian women
02/05/18•24m 47s
Sun, sand and thousands of refugees: the Lesbos volunteer
Shocked by the humanitarian crisis she saw unfolding in Greece, Ayesha Keller got on a plane to see if she could help save lives
25/04/18•26m 49s
From cattle herder to big pharma expert: one man's fight to end malaria
Dr Allan Pamba on the ‘silent epidemic’ that drove him to leave his Kenyan village, train as a clinician and become a leading authority on global health
18/04/18•21m 36s
The woman who braves bullets and bombs to uphold her father's legacy in Somalia
Elman Ali Ahmed dedicated his life to disarming child soldiers and trying to end conflict in Somalia – now his daughter, Ilwad, is following in his footsteps
11/04/18•19m 20s
Human experience will always speak louder than any campaign
Lucy Lamble talks to an Amnesty International expert about the importance of letting people in tough situations tell their own stories
04/04/18•16m 37s
Block like an Egyptian: roller derby team get women's rights on track
Lucy Lamble talks to Angie Kaster, co-founder of Egypt’s first roller derby team – the all-female CaiRollers – about how this brutal contact sport is empowering local women
28/03/18•17m 17s
'Oxfam allegations are tip of iceberg': sexual harassment and aid workers
Lucy Lamble talks to Rebecca Ratcliffe about her investigations into exploitation and the misuse of power in humanitarian organisations
14/02/18•10m 37s
'Everything was clouded by Trump in 2017': a challenging year for poor nations
Lucy Lamble looks back over 12 months of critical changes for developing countries, dominated by the devastating effects of the ‘global gag rule’
19/12/17•20m 25s
'It was unbelievable horror': the Rohingya crisis
With nearly a million Rohingya driven out of Myanmar in what the UN has called textbook ‘ethnic cleansing’, Lucy Lamble hears about the situation on the ground in Bangladesh – and how the international community can help
07/12/17•17m 57s
'Famine as mass atrocity': in conversation with Alex de Waal
When the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union, they planned to starve 30 million people to death. Seven decades on, famine as a weapon of war is making a comeback, says the author of an authoritative new history British risk complicity in Yemen ‘famine crime’, says Alex de Waal
23/11/17•15m 5s
'Making war is easier than making peace': in conversation with Colombia's President Santos
With six months left in office, Juan Manuel Santos talks to Lucy Lamble about whether his acclaimed yet controversial peace deal can survive the transition
08/11/17•13m 22s
'Some people believe disability is contagious': breaking down barriers in Mozambique
From school to the workplace, people with disabilities in Mozambique face stigma and discrimination. They are far less likely to be educated and can find it impossible to get into work. Lucy Lamble travels to Sofala province to see how a new initiative is opening up opportunities and transforming lives Read the feature
10/10/17•21m 9s
We need to talk about … Population and climate change
In this monthly podcast, Guardian supporters ask the questions and a Guardian panel try to provide the answers. This episode focuses on whether people should be having fewer children for the sake of the planet – and if so, how that societal change might happen
07/10/17•1h 6m
'Without health, people have nothing': Tanzania seeks a political salve – podcast
Backed by Graça Machel and her fellow Elders, the Tanzanian government is introducing healthcare reforms that could revitalise its economic prospects. Lucy Lamble investigates Read the transcript Can we ever achieve the greatest aspiration – healthcare for everyone?
28/07/17•13m 54s
Why we need to get contraceptives to teenagers
For 1.8 billion young people – the largest cohort ever – family planning will be vital in shaping lives and livelihoods. As leaders prepare for the London Family Planning Summit, Lucy Lamble looks at the challenges ahead Read the transcript
06/07/17•16m 42s
How do you solve half a century of bloodshed in Colombia?
After the civil war that claimed 250,000 lives ended with last year’s accord, Lucy Lamble investigates how Colombia’s communities plan to build lasting peace Read the transcript
27/04/17•16m 15s
Why is east Africa facing a hunger crisis and what can be done? – podcast
As hunger spreads in east Africa, famine threatens to take hold beyond South Sudan. Lucy Lamble explores the background and response to the crisis Read the transcript
23/03/17•14m 20s
Is child labour always wrong? The view from Bolivia
Kary Stewart looks at why 850,000 children work in Bolivia, and whether the numbers can be vindicated by the country’s unique cultural context El trabajo infantil en Bolivia: ¿puede justificarse? – podcast Read the transcript
23/02/17•24m 1s
El trabajo infantil en Bolivia: ¿puede justificarse?
Kary Stewart analiza por qué 850.000 niños trabajan en Bolivia y si los números pueden ser vindicados por el contexto cultural único del país Is child labour always wrong? The view from Bolivia – podcast
23/02/17•25m 40s
African women form a united front in the battle for equality
Kary Stewart looks at how feminists are championing women’s rights across the continent and beyond, and examines what is at the heart of gender inequality Read the transcript
19/01/17•23m 45s
Zika, drought, conflict: what 2016 meant for the world's poorest
The Global development team looks back at some of the issues that affected millions of people in developing countries in the past year, and considers the challenges for 2017 Read the transcript
21/12/16•23m 33s
Cómo llegó Cuba a la mayoría de edad en el desarrollo de la primera infancia
Más del 99,5% de los niños cubanos asiste a un programa o institución de educación infantil. Kary Stewart visita La Habana para hablar con familias, médicos y maestros sobre una historia de éxito en América Latina How Cuba came of age on early childhood development – podcast in English
16/11/16•25m 23s
How Cuba came of age on early childhood development
More than 99.5% of Cuban children attend an early childhood education programme or institution. Kary Stewart visits Havana to speak to families, doctors and teachers about a Latin American success story Cómo llegó Cuba a la mayoría de edad en el desarrollo de la primera infancia – podcast Read the transcript
16/11/16•24m 43s
How Sri Lanka bit back at mosquitoes and wiped out malaria – podcast
Sixty years ago, Sri Lanka was one of the countries most affected by malaria; in September 2016, the World Health Organisation declared the country free of the disease. Dinitha Rathnayake charts the journey of a huge victory for public health Read the transcript
24/10/16•16m 24s
Why are 63 million girls missing out on education?
Half of all children born this year will leave school without even the most basic of qualifications. Girls are at the highest risk of missing out on schooling altogether, but what’s being done to tackle it? Lucy Lamble visits rural Zimbabwe to discover the barriers that can prevent girls getting an education, and investigates programmes in place to help Read the transcript
19/09/16•18m 7s
Why Obama's ambition of an Aids-free generation is a pipe dream
Sarah Boseley is joined by experts and campaigners including Charlize Theron as she looks at progress on treating and preventing Aids and ponders the road ahead Read the transcript
01/08/16•14m 22s
Africa and the tech revolution: what's holding back the mobile continent?
Clár Ní Chonghaile reports from the Africa technology business forum on the innovations that could transform life in the continent – and the hardware glitches holding them back Read the transcript
26/07/16•11m 42s
Let's talk about sex: why do we need good sex education? – podcast
With so many misconceptions and taboos around sex, Liz Ford looks at why effective education is more important than ever Read the podcast transcript Sex education lift off in Nepal
15/06/16•18m 57s
Why are so many children around the world out of school?
As the world humanitarian summit approaches, Lucy Lamble looks at why 75 million children can’t access adequate education Read the transcript
19/05/16•16m 20s
Dentro de La Ciudad de las Mujeres en Colombia
Kary Stewart visita La Ciudad de las Mujeres en Turbaco, a las afueras de Cartagena, en el norte de Colombia Inside Colombia’s City of Women – podcast in English
12/05/16•23m 45s
Inside Colombia's City of Women
Kary Stewart meets women who experienced rape and violence during Colombia’s years of conflict, who came together and built their own community Read the transcript Colombia’s City of Women: a haven from violence Dentro de La Ciudad de las Mujeres en Colombia – podcast
20/04/16•19m 34s
Where drought is the new normal: El Niño worsens food shortages in Malawi and Zimbabwe
Lucy Lamble reports from southern Africa on the recurring droughts, exacerbated by an unusually strong El Niño, that are causing a severe lack of food Read a transcript of the podcast
30/03/16•21m 21s
Democrats v autocrats in Africa: is there a winning formula? – podcast
As the dust settles on the elections in Uganda, where Yoweri Museveni has prolonged a presidential reign of longer than 30 years, Hugh Muir looks at the trade-offs between progress and freedom Read a transcript of the podcast
25/02/16•19m 44s
In the eye of El Niño: landslides and flooding in coastal Peru
Kary Stewart visits shanty towns close to the coast of Peru, where people driven from inland regions by poverty are resettling on dangerous ground Read the podcast transcript
30/01/16•18m 24s
Paris climate talks turn up the heat on world leaders
The Guardian environment editor John Vidal reports from the UN climate change conference in Paris, where gritty but positive negotiations to broker an agreement are nearing a conclusion
10/12/15•20m 53s
Why are there so few women in power?
In the Global development podcast this month, Liz Ford looks at the barriers to women reaching leadership positions, from discrimination to social conditioning, and speaks to organisations attempting to bridge the gender gap
30/11/15•21m 57s
Measuring up: how open data could spur drive to meet global goals
Mark Anderson reports from the Africa open data conference in Dar es Salaam, where delegates considered how innovative methods of collecting data could promote the new sustainable development agenda
04/11/15•17m 15s
Can Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay make the global goals famous?
Kary Stewart reports from the UN summit in New York, where everyone from Ban Ki-moon to Beyoncé gathered to celebrate the adoption of the goals that will shape development for the next 15 years
05/10/15•21m 26s
Africa's children: 10 years on
In 2005, the Guardian featured 10 newborns in countries across Africa. Five years later, we returned to talk to them and their parents. Now we return to catch up with their lives and hear about the opportunities and challenges they face
31/08/15•25m 1s
Counting the cost of the Boko Haram crisis
Attacks by Boko Haram in south-east Niger have created a humanitarian crisis. Lucy Lamble visited the country’s Diffa region to speak to people displaced by the violence and investigate relief efforts
30/07/15•37m 41s
Financing the sustainable development goals
This July, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia hosts the UN’s Financing for Development conference, where member states will discuss how to pay for the ambitious plans laid out in the sustainable development goals
23/06/15•34m 58s
What causes conflict and how can it be resolved?
From the ready availability of weapons to the marginalisation of women, many factors can push a population towards conflict
20/05/15•35m 57s