shepard explains. it would be good then our little villages would finally have electricity. good for people with. the you know. the conservationists promote traditional ways of life but most people want at least a few modern conveniences. leads us down into a valley. this is where one of the new hydro plants is to be located. so the plan is to build 11. not everybody in the villages of shoplifting that is concerned about protecting the environment. and finding an alternative to improvised rubbish dumps.

construction of the hydro power plants up in the mountains is well underway they use so much water that downstream in the valley the water levels in the river are getting low. so the balkans still feel very remote and left behind but even here there seem to be more cars. friends of shar has several members of its team out and about in the area including voice. there's still a lot of work to be done and that includes explaining the issues to people and telling them about the rules on how to behave in a national park. it now looks as if the sharp plan in the national park will finally be established next year on paper that is but that is at least a start.

and now back to africa many people trouble long distances by bike here it's not only a cheap way of getting a road it is also really environmentalists friendly many families are happy when they receive a bike us achieve able to leave one like in south africa where small angio is provided bikes for children it. is the child who starts the day with a very long walk to school it takes almost an hour to get that. she lives in kwazulu-natal province in south africa and if the east coast. i have to get. ready for school early told on the ways. there's no public transport around her children often a rifle late at school or just don't go and this problem of late coming as it is also up and busy that is the issue that driving and they that is walking wonder or

think there is this programme of crime nor the criminal governor thank you i hate that programme was. a few kilometers away is the base of an ngo that wants to solve the transportation problem for poor local children not iraq's most i am to my son gave me and some part of the team of sweet bike. there are loading 472nd hand bikes recently delivered from switzerland. i feel like a small child who's about to open a local park and if this is the change that's important to the country doesn't have a feeling that i did when. i was pretty good. sweet bike got going last year and has already provided more than $1800.00 bicycles to schools each one 1st has to be assembled and tested at the sweet bike workshop the project depends on donations depending on how much money comes in something out of the team by an

import up to several containers full each year. because at 19 pandemic has meant delays and deliveries recently the workshop has 5 trainee mechanics now is in charge here. together they process about 40 pikes a day vocational training is another cool element of sweet bikes mission the idea is at the end of the year to equip them we have enough skill so they can either open their own workshop or be placed in a job that you can see in the field we try and teach not only to think of it as mechanics but also maybe selling bikes some of the trainees already have plans for when they complete the course in future would lead to where or for bicycles

and certainly to all out to all right areas because there's not much transport so they can use bicycles or. something or the younger muslim gamey are coming to visit a friend in so much training. he lives in a village a few kilometers away. supermom close in amr completed the course a year ago. he now runs a bike workshop in his house. sweet bike gave him a starter set of tools. he thought a lot of schoolchildren would come to have their bikes looked at but the pandemic and lockdown meant schools were closed and few actually showed up so business is not bad. i'm getting more.

working. in town so obviously no one can come in america just to fix their bicycles. the next morning back at sweet bike it's time to distribute a bunch of newly assembled and tested bikes the children are excited about the bikes. especially as the charger for her had been a long wait 500 came here i felt like help get a bike but i don't care if. i thought maybe if they come again i'll get one and it happened. to happen. before the kids can set off on their bikes they get safety training for some riding a bike is an entirely new experience now i have my own time spots i can or i want to call. it an easy something that. balancing

on 2 wheels takes a little practice but there's still a child who is keen to learn and would like nothing more than to cycle to school the very next day. or. keep the old flat dish and so life can be a way to help the environment that's also been practiced in our next report from sunset. that is right in this group of islands in the indian ocean is in jeopardy as a result of climate change on the depletion of natural resources bought by planting trees and changing the way the farm that you have a chance of a tiny island of cocoa to have witnessed impressive results. nowadays it's difficult to make your way through the dense woodland in cocoa to 10

years ago this land used to be barren activist omar and his angio have brought it back to life in. the organization encourages local communities to plant trees install solar panels build fuel efficient cooking staves and harvest rainwater as a result the tons in the island has witnessed a turnaround. like everybody up to get somebody who now the community is very well versed in the issue of tree planting and as i hear him you know when they were. some years ago the people of cocoa to use slash and burn farming methods leading to massive deforestation. most rivers and the groundwater brown and dry what was once fertile soil turned to dust and people had to import food. the organization has planted over 680000 fruit trees and forest trees in cocoa. to make sure that the reforestation

a successful local communities regulate felling. among the people benefiting beekeepers the trees provide bees with a well protected and shady twining place and a source of food when they're flowering. 2 years ago saloon cassim had just to be hives now he has 75. to get what i can't do anything without a forest slug. when you hang behind like we've done here we get best quality honey it's clean and the bees can't be attacked by other insects. and we're going on a war. is now on the road to recovery. but the eyelets of new job just a couple of kilometers away is still in dire straits. like cocoa to in the past has no clean drinking water and the land is degraded. this tree planting apprentice

designed to help the islanders understand the importance of trees. when courage them and help them in planting as well what then when the rains come we work together with the communities when we visit them and plant trees in their areas for the purpose of ongoing conservation work we need to move. the organizations activities are funded by the european union the aim is to enable communities to become self-sufficient by means of our great business. and that's a hopeful look into the future brings also the end of this edition of echo africa i hope you enjoy the show don't forget you can always check in with us and it's high on social media i'm krista lem's sino from lagos nigeria thank you greece it is also time for me to say farewell but do be sure to tune in again next week until then it is

a goodbye from me sundra to no deal here in company uganda. oh . oh. oh.

oh. what about assuring a color instead. of. a change in thinking is changing the economy to create something that. the economics magazine made in germany. and 30 minutes w.

. they were mutating into a nameless mass. their bodies mere tools the history of the slave trade is bad for those who stray. describes how the greens for power and profit plummeted an entire continent into chaos and blames this time europe's expansion for all the gold in the world in our series sleepless rounds. and you hear me now yes yes we can hear you and how downstairs gentlemen sounds now we're going like i'm going to madoff and you never tell the full surprise yourself with what is possible who is medical training what a new sat and what all some who talk to people who follows her along the way

admirers and critics alike and how is the world's most powerful woman shaping her legacy joining us from eccles law stops in. more than 1000 years ago europe witnesses a huge construction boom. with christianity firmly established there is a greater demand for houses of worship. and both religious and secular leaders are eager to display their power so churches become palaces. well grace begins to kind of create the tallest biggest and most beautiful structures. stonemasons builders in the project compete with each other to build and to project.

their cities home massive churches with towers that pierce the clouds like skyscrapers or create a. contest of the cathedrals starts to go 12th on d w. this is d w news and these are our top stories european union regulators say benefits of astra zeneca turn a virus vaccine outweigh the risk of any possible side effects more than a dozen e.u. countries have stopped using its off to isolated reports of blood clots the european medicines agency is conducting a review and will report later this week the. u.s. secretary of state anthony blinken has been in tokyo for.