Project 17

In 2015 the United Nations announced a radical plan to change the world.

Global leaders drew up a list of 17 "sustainable development goals" to create a blueprint for a better future. Governments agreed to support the goals which cover gender equality, health provision, a good education and much more. Now 17-year-olds from 17 different countries tell us what they think needs to change if the world is to meet those goals by 2030.

Seventeen-year-old Ruhani Akhtar doesn't want to work in a garment factory like her mother. But what other opportunities are open to young people in Bangladesh? The country has seen rapid economic growth during the last three decades and she wants to know what her options are. Ruhani talks to another young woman who went to Saudi Arabia as a domestic worker with disastrous results, to a government minister, and she visits a modern new textile factory where work is changing fast.

Presenter: Sana Safi

Project 17 was produced in partnership with The Open University

In 2015 the United Nations announced a radical plan to change the world.

Global leaders drew up a list of 17 "sustainable development goals" to create a blueprint for a better future. Governments agreed to support the goals which cover gender equality, health provision, a good education and much more. Now 17-year-olds from 17 different countries tell us what they think needs to change if the world is to meet those goals by 2030.

Nestor lives in the far north of Colombia and his village has been transformed since solar panels were brought in to provide electricity to the schools. Children now have access to computers, and light in their classrooms. He wants to find out just how much of Colombia's electricity can be created using renewable sources. He visits the country's biggest solar plant, and interviews Colombia's deputy energy minister to find out whether the government will meet the UN goal on clean energy by 2030.

Presenter: Sana Safi

Project 17 was produced in partnership with The Open University

In 2015 the United Nations announced a radical plan to change the world.

Global leaders drew up a list of 17 "sustainable development goals" to create a blueprint for a better future. Governments agreed to support the goals which cover gender equality, health provision, a good education and much more. Now 17-year-olds from 17 different countries tell us what they think needs to change if the world is to meet those goals by 2030.

Joyce lives in rural Rwanda and has to walk to a communal tap to collect water for her family every day. But she is lucky, she doesn't have to walk too far and the water is clean. Some of her friends face much longer journeys and have to collect water from ponds used by cattle or for laundry. She talks to activists, a government spokeswoman and other schoolchildren about Rwanda's water and sanitation situation.

Presenter: Sana Safi

Project 17 is made in partnership with The Open University

Seventeen-year-old Sahar Beg from New Delhi, is looking at gender inequality in India. She and her friends know they are treated differently just because they were born girls. They talk about families where the brother’s birthday is celebrated every year, when none of the sister’s birthdays are marked at all. Then there is the question of violence against women and girls. Sahar has watched the reports about a gang rape in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh and talks to the local political leader who is defending the accused men. She also talks to the Chair of the National Commission for Women, Rekha Sharma about what needs to change and whether the pandemic has actually taken women’s rights away. In lockdowns which have seen spikes in domestic abuse around the world, Sahar hears the inspiring story of a survivor which gives her hope. Project 17 is produced in partnership with The Open University.

Seventeen-year-old Yolanda goes to a rural school in the Eastern Cape in South Africa. But the school has too few working toilets, not enough textbooks, and not enough teachers. Sometimes there are as many as 60 children in a class. She wants to know why so few children in South Africa can read and write properly.

She has spoken to other 17-year-olds, teachers, academics and a government official to try to find out what needs to be done to help South Africa meet the United Nations sustainable development goal on education by 2030.

Presenter: Sana Safi.

Made in partnership with the Open University.

The United Nations announced a radical plan to change the world in 2015.

Global leaders drew up a list of 17 "sustainable development goals" to create a blueprint for a better future. Governments agreed to support the goals which cover gender equality, access to clean water, a good education and much more. Now, 17-year-olds from 17 different countries tell us how they want the world to change.

Victoline lives in Kenya and she suffered from malaria a few years ago. She wants to know if a new vaccine could eradicate the disease in Africa and stop hundreds of thousands of children from dying every year. She talks to doctors, politicians and other teenagers about the science, the economics and the practicalities of fighting malaria.

Project 17 is a unique collaboration between the BBC World Service and the Open University.

Presenter: Sana Safi. Producer: Bob Howard.

In 2015 the United Nations announced a radical plan to change the world.

Global leaders drew up a list of 17 "sustainable development goals" to create a blueprint for a better future. Governments agreed to support the goals which cover gender equality, access to clean water, a good education and much more. Now, 17-year-olds from 17 different countries tell us what they want the world to be doing.

Seventeen-year-old Rosa Angelica lives in a Mayan community. As many as 80% of Mayan children in Guatemala suffer from malnutrition. Rosa Angelica has spoken to volunteers, activists and even a government minister to try to find out what Guatemala should be doing if it is to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger by 2030.

Project 17 is a unique collaboration between the BBC World Service and the Open University.

Presenter: Sana Safi. Producer: Kate Lamble.

In 2015 the United Nations announced a radical plan to change the world.

Global leaders drew up a list of 17 "sustainable development goals" to create a blueprint for a better future. The goals cover things like gender equality, access to clean water, a good education and much more. Now, 17-year-olds from 17 different countries tell us what they think needs to be done.

Lanre Adeleye lives in a poor part of Leeds in the UK. He has spoken to teachers, other teenagers, the former UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and an influential member of Britain’s ruling Conservative Party, to find out why poverty still affects so many people in one of the world’s richest countries.

Project 17 is a unique collaboration between the BBC World Service and The Open University.

Presenter: Sana Safi. Producer: Tom Wright.