anchor: this week on "global 3000," we track down a mystical creature whose habitat is under threat. in the philippines, we meet a chef transforming leftover food into tasty new dishes. but first, we're off to kenya to find out more about day-to-day life in the slums. today, over half of the world's population live in cities. that's almost 4 billion people. the u.n. estimates that there are up to 900 million people in the developing world living in slums. a figure which is likely to triple over the next few years.

as a result, by 2025, over 1 billion new homes will need to be built at a cost of around $650 billion u.s. dollars per year. mexico city is home to the world's largest slum. neza-chalco-itza has around 4 million residents. in dharavi in mumbai, over a million people are cramped together in under 2.6 square kilometers. kibera in nairobi is probably africa's largest slum. it's difficult to know how many people live there. but it's several hundred thousand at least. narrator: it's moving day in the kibera slum. everything is packed in plastic bags. patrick kiluzu can't afford moving boxes. patrick, his wife, and three children have lived in africa's largest slum for the past 10

years. now, they're moving into a real apartment house across the way. kibera is a synonym for garbage. for crime. for terrible living conditions. but there's also a strong social network here where neighbors look out for each other, so patrick has mixed feelings about leaving. patrick: you know, there we've actually mixed up. because i don't know my friends -- we are still strangers. you know as a stranger, you cannot just move into a person's house that you are not used to. so i think it's good, but also it is very challenging a bit. but i know as time goes by, we'll make friends. narrator: slum-upgrading is the name of the kenyan government's project. the idea is that the slum should become more attractive. a few months previous in

mathare, another nairobi slum, the streets were paved for the first time. the people in green t-shirts are working on a government contract. there are plans to build a medical clinic, a police station, and a poultry farm. those helping receive three euros a day -- much more than most in the area earn. the vegetable garden is new, too. clarice akinyi studied social sciences but couldn't find the right job. now she's planting kenyan cabbage -- known as "sukumawiki" -- in space-saving plastic sacks. this project was also financed by the kenyan government and not by one of the various aid organizations. clarice: i can say this is the unique one of all because i can say whoever invented whatever we are doing at the moment was the best in africa. because i've never heard about any country that is doing the same. narrator: they can sell the freshly harvested vegetables.

the money they earn is in addition to their pay from the government. could it all be too good to be true? back in kibera, patrick kiluzu is still busy with moving. smart apartment blocks now stand in the place where tin huts used to be. the residents were relocated and promised their own apartment. but they had to pay a down payment equal to 1,000 euros. those who were able to pay are proud. [doorbell rings] anna: my life has changed. don't knock my door, just ring the bell. then i will hear, and i will welcome you to my house. narrator: anna wanjiru has been in the new flat for a week now. she was lucky. for her family of five, she was able to get a three-room apartment. and for the first time in her life, she has her own real kitchen. anna: before, if you come that

day, even you can cry. i was using stuff, but now god have bring for me gas. i'm cooking with gas. i have water. i have somewhere to put my things. i'm feeling very well. narrator: but patrick kiluzu has a way to go yet. he still has to lug all his things up five flights of stairs. and his new apartment is not in great shape. there's water damage. it's supposed to be repaired, but patrick didn't want to wait any longer. like many people from the slum, he felt disadvantaged when the flats were being handed out. some were sold under the table. after taking so long to get the money for the deposit together, patrick didn't want to take any risks. patrick: at first, we used to say maybe our money can lost. so we were just saving little monies, say 500.

and in the course of the week, 1000. you know, it took a lot of, so many years. narrator: it took him 10 years to save the money. some still haven't been able to raise enough and are hoping there will be a flat for them in the next apartment house. according to the government's plan, all of kibera will soon look like this. back in mathare. nine months after our first visit, the vegetable garden has seen better days. after a corruption scandal at the authority responsible for the project, the kenyan government halted all payments to the slum beautification initiative. a few young guys from the area are taking care of what plants are left. clarice akinyi is not working in the garden anymore. now, she's sweeping streets. for months, she didn't receive any payment. but at the moment, she's being paid again. still, she's not critical of the government.

clarice: government has tried to help my life, to reach the day and to earn my living, whether it is little, but i have something that i depend on -- than just waking up early in the morning, you don't depend on anything. narrator: the police station and the medical clinic remain empty. the poultry farm didn't work out either. the hopes for a better life in mathare remain unfulfilled. clarice: the best thing, we need to be informed and involved in any planning that government might have plan to do, so that we work together. we be one thing, we involve each and every person. narrator: the people in the slums suffer most from the corruption of politicians and officials when money is misappropriated and promises go unfulfilled. the slum improvement program is one bitter example. still, patrick kiluzu is happy. patrick: now, i'm facing kibera. narrator: for him, it's a new

perspective on africa's largest slum. anchor: for change to happen, two things are essential -- political willpower and economic investment. in 2009, brazil started its "my house, my life" program. despite the criticism it received, 3 million families benefited from this social building project. the costs, around 3 billion euros. of course, living space alone is not everything. medical care and good infrastructure are also key to improving the lives of those in poverty. but largely, it's the basics that are missing in the slums. clean drinking water, sanitary facilities, toilets. homes that are sturdy, safe, and of a decent size. offering stability and permanence, because residents live in fear of being moved on. we head to manila, in the

philippines, to a slum called "happyland." narrator: even at night, it's never quiet here. at 3:00 a.m., children and adults are hard at work sifting through garbage. the stench is overwhelming. this is 'happyland', a sprawling slum on the edge of manila. picking our way through rubbish, mud, and excrement, we find the most prized resource here -- discarded food straight from the rubbish tip. lucy bantillo: we don't have a proper job. but i can earn a bit of money from this leftover chicken. i couldn't just sit at home. my husband doesn't earn enough. at least in this way, i can help him. narrator: norberto lucion is just getting started for the day. his family runs a takeaway in the slum. norberto only got an elementary school education.

he's had many jobs, including one as a cooking assistant. he buys his meat every morning - fresh -- so to speak. norberto goes to the rubbish collectors, buying up the leftovers of manila's middle class -- discarded by fast-food restaurants like kfc or jollibee. it's a battle for survival. norberto was orphaned at the age of seven. but you never hear a word of complaint. norberto: as soon as the leftovers have been sorted, i go and get some. if i've got money, i pay straightaway. otherwise, i owe it to them and pay them in the afternoon with my takings. narrator: more than a quarter of the philippine population lives below the poverty line. happyland is home to the poorest

of the poor. preserving your dignity in the mud is a struggle -- just like finding enough food to eat. norberto is in his early 60's. he's lived in happyland for more than 20 years. he used to live in the notorious smokey mountain garbage slum, which was officially closed in 1995. he was moved here by the government, supposedly on a temporary basis. but plans to resettle residents have failed. so happyland lives on, home to some 25,000 people. norberto has to buy clean water and then carry it back home. there's no running water here and only communal toilets. diarrhea and sickness are often a problem. if he didn't wash the food, things would probably be even worse. norberto: i wash the meat several times. after the first time, the water is still very murky. but after a second time, it's

already looking a lot clearer. then i can take it to the kitchen. narrator: the waste water soon joins all the other waste out in the street. those who have found themselves on the rubbish dump of life have learned to live with it -- and even from it -- making a living from this doubtful form of recycling. norberto then leaves the putrid mountain of rubbish for a short while, taking only the aroma with him and the little money that he has. on the other side of the street, it's another world. a local market sells everything that the philippines' fertile soil has to offer. norberto comes here to buy fresh produce. his food has a good reputation, and he wants to keep it that way. he buys spices, lemongrass, peppers, onions, and garlic. >> norberto comes by every day.

he's very friendly, not at all arrogant. he always pays immediately and never tries to rip you off. narrator: back in the shade of his smoky hut, norberto gets to work with a certain professional touch. his specialty goes by the name of "kaldereta" -- a colorful dish dating back to colonial times. the original version used goats' meat and was reserved for special occasions. norberto and his wife, rosamarie, have modified the recipe to save money. a little annatto from the achiote tree is added for color. norberto: i prefer to invest a little more in my ingredients. i want it to taste good. i paid 60 pesos for this. i think it's worth it. my family and my customers certainly like it that way.

narrator: the leftover chicken was 80 pesos. that is a cost of 140 altogether - the equivalent of 2.60 euros. a portion of freshly garnished kaldereta with rice costs 20 pesos, just under 40 cents. so his maximum profit per day is 3.75 euros. the midday heat is intense. but the first customers are soon queuing up. after eight hours of sifting through rubbish, they're ready for a good helping. >> it tastes very good -- even if it is from the rubbish dump. it's the leftovers of the rich. that's all we can afford. at least we have something to eat. >> it doesn't bother me. as you can see, as long as people here can make use of something, they will do it. >> we're happy to have anything to eat -- even if it is from the garbage. narrator: norberto's food not only feeds his customers, it

also provides a meager living for his six-member family. norberto: if i could change anything, i'd like the lord to bless us a little more. not much, just enough for my family and my customers who eat what i cook. narrator: life goes on in happyland, the garbage slum, where norberto is now cooking his second batch of kaldereta. anchor: life is substantially better in australia. we now head there in "global living rooms." trish: welcome.

hello, my name is trish. please come into my living room. smell that one. i like that one. that's really nice. >> not too bad. trish: i make my own soap. and the reason why i make my own soap is because i like to use cosmetics and products on my skin -- more natural. and a lot of the stuff that you buy in the shops is just full of chemicals, and they are not what they say on the labels. trish: my living room is my life. it's about what i treasure. it's got photos of my family, my friends. i like just having things that i love around me.

i have a tendency to leave the backdoor open and they walk in. blue-tongue lizards. trish: these are a few of my special pieces that i keep in my cabinet here. this was a glass-blown, little wishing well that i got made up for our wedding cake. and these were the flowers. these were actually hand-made, these little roses. but as the years gone by, they've gone discolored unfortunately. but that's still original. trish: i'd like to say goodbye, from myself and my husband, and

from perth, western australia. it's been an absolute pleasure having you here. you are welcome anytime. thank you. bye. anchor: and now in "global ideas," we meet people dedicated to the protection of our planet's wildlife. this week, we head to colombia. many of the country's rainforests are under threat of destruction. while the illegal planting of coca crops was once the main culprit, it's now cattle farming. the legendary curassow birds live in the magdalena region, in the el paujil bird reserve. colombian conservationists have bought up one of the few remaining lowland rainforests, hoping to protect the animals' last remaining place of refuge. narrator: this is one of the

last of the unspoiled forests in the magdalena medio region of central colombia. rangers regularly patrol the area by boat, because the river is often used by smugglers to move illegally harvested tropical wood. the protected area is 4500 hectares in size. it's an important sanctuary for endangered species, like this brown spider monkey. in just a few decades, their population has dropped by 80%. that's mostly because outside the sanctuary their habitat is being destroyed. alejandro grajales: there are still giant trees here, like the abarco and ceiba, as well as others that are endangered.

this relatively intact tropical forest offers food to many endangered species, among them birds, mammals, and amphibians. they find everything they need in this protected area. narrator: the men are searching for the rarest bird in colombia -- the blue-billed curassow. there are only between 300 and 500 left in the wild. and they can only be found in this region. the conservationists are in luck. they find a blue-billed curassow -- or crax alberti -- which is the scientific designation. for the indigenous colombians, birds of this family were considered mystical creatures. they were reproduced many times over in gold sculptures.

luis rubelio: you can only find the blue-billed curassow in this area, and that's why proaves bought this land and committed themselves to protecting it. this species has been especially affected by deforestation, as well as unchecked hunting. that's how the population was drastically reduced to the point that the birds are now almost extinct. narrator: outside the sanctuary, the clear-cutting of the tropical forest continues unabated. according to estimates, half a hectare of forest disappears every day in the magdalena medio region. people here live from lumber and livestock. that has dire consequences for nature.

this used to be dense vegetation with a rich biodiversity. today, it's just a series of pastures. the soil is eroding, prompting the farmers to encroach even more upon the ancient forest. the town of puerto pinzon is right near the protected area. people here make a living from dairy and cattle farming. a women's initiative in the village is trying to find alternative sources of income. handmade jewelry made of palm seeds is the new business model. alejandra castellon: this project is important to us because it helps us earn a little money on the side. up until now, everything was concentrated on livestock. but that destroys the forest and many animal species. we wanted to take another path and stop the dangerous

exploitation of the forest. narrator: inside the protected area, the women plant the palm trees that produce the seeds they use to make their jewelry. the conservationists are working together with the local people. proaves supports the women's efforts and sells their jewelry to tourists across the country. tourism offers a ray of hope for this region. new accommodation has been built in the hope of enticing bird lovers to this remote part of colombia. the protected area is certainly a paradise for bird watchers, boasting some 360 different species. alonso quevedo: our strategy for

preserving and funding this protected area is to introduce eco-tourism, especially bird watching. in this way, we hope to finance the work in the protected area long-term and preserve it for generations to come. narrator: the rangers don't just protect the birds. these monkeys have also found a refuge here. and there are more than 80 different species of reptiles and amphibians. the magdalena medio forest is a small natural paradise. but every day, it gets just that bit smaller.

anchor: "global 3000." on facebook, we're called "global society." there you'll find web videos and interesting reports from our radio programs, "world link" and "world in progress." we tell moving and inspiring stories that connect us all. and we ask, what makes a successful global society? follow us on facebook -- "dw global society." we look forward to hearing from you. you can find all editions of "global 3000" in our media library at dw.com. we're back next week. see you then. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

- this program is made possible in part by the town of marion, historic marion, virginia, home of the wayne henderson school of appalachian arts, celebrating 21 years as a certified virginia main street community. the ellis family foundation and general francis marion hotel. the historic general francis marion hotel and black rooster restaurant and lounge, providing luxurious accommodations and casual fine dining. the bank of marion. the bank of marion, your vision, your community, your bank. wbrf 98.1 fm. bryant label, a proud supporter of our region's musical heritage. ("cherokee shuffle" by gerald anderson)