From January to March 2005 BBC World will profile examples of the kind of project we are looking for in the Hands On
short form programmes. These examples will also be profiled in Newsweek in a special advertising feature.

Click an image below to view project.

6. BREATHING EASY:
Tempering The Tempo In Nepal

As little as three years ago, diesel tempos-small, 3-wheeler taxis-were filling the streets of Katmandu with choking fumes. Pushpa Pokhrel is a local entrepreneur who has been helping to combat the pollution problem.

His company, EVCO, runs a small fleet of electric powered tempos. A BBC "Hands On" program about Pokhrel's electric tempos had such an impact on Nepalese viewers that it spurred a protest movement to prohibit the diesel vehicles.

Even Nepal's Minister of the Environment gives credit to the "Hands On" segment for mobilizing government support of the diesel ban. And while the television program may have helped improve Katmandu's air quality, it also advanced Pokhrel's business beyond his wildest dreams.

In the four months since he began, Pokhrel's franchise has been so successful that he now owns 21 vehicles and employs a staff of 40. There are currently 10 EVCO depots in different parts of the city, providing over 200 jobs.

Equally exciting is the prospect of spreading electric vehicle development in neighboring countries. Already, representatives from India have visited Katmandu and returned to develop similar programs in their own country.