♪ obesitity is a serious proble. the solution? finding strength in numbers. nearsightedness is skyrocketing in asia. we go to taiwan to find out why. and in uganda we meet some courageous animal-lovers who are helping to save the rhino. rhinos are one of the world's most endangered species. in africa, only zimbabwe, kenya, namibia, and south africa have

reasonably sized populations of them. the reason is poachers who are keen to profit from their valuable horns. they fetch a forortune on the global black market. traders get around $60,000 u.s. per kilo. in uganda their numbers have slowly been increasing in recent years. our reporter julia henrichmann paid a visit to a privately-run sanctuary and met with some committed conservationists. reporter: they're safe here in this sanctuary. it covers 70 square kilometers and is sponsored by the rhino fund. the southern white rhinoceros has been wiped out i in otheher paparts of uganda. but here, 24 of them roam the savannah and woodlands. raymond opio is trying to find one for us.

the ranger sometimes has to trek far into the bush to track one down. finally we catch a glimpse of uhuru and her baby, who was born in june. the gestation period for the species is 18 months. we have to be cautious. rhino mothers are ferocious in defense of their young. raymond: uhuru is like mother, like daughter. the motherer is the same character. the mothther will l hear just a small stick breaking, she is veryry alert. she is already facing that area, that direcection. that is what uhuru is. uhuru is a no nonsense lady. so, anything coming around, she will attack. reporter: three rhinos cross our path. the driver is getting a little nervous. raymond: she is just coming to check.

reporter: the safest move when you see a rhino is to freeze. then it understands you don't represent a threat. raymond: ok, we can continue. reporter: about 9090 rangers wk here. angie genade is in charge. she's been running the rhino fund since 2008, and has brought a lot of new staff on board. and the number of animals in the sanctuary has almost doubled under her direction. angie: the situation of the rhinos has been dire for a long time. there was a short period, maybe in the 1970's, early 1980's where rhinos were pretty secure, and then the poaching spiked. the problem is, it doesn't just spike in one country, it spikes all over. reporter: poachers haven't killed any animals in the sanctuary. the rhino fund has been breeding them here for 18 years now. the first was brought in from kenya, others from various zoos.

when out in the bush among the rhinos, it's important to remain quiet. walkie-talkies can make the rhinos restless. the rangers observe the animals' behavior during the day and at night, documenting where they graze, sleep, and wandnder. the data are shared with researchers and zoos all over the world. martin lokiru is more involved with the rhinos than he is with his own family. he only sesees them twice a ye. martin: the rhinos are my second family. they are the one paying my school fees, they are the ones helping my family, keeping them save and free. reporter: the rhino fund is financed largely by tourists, who come here from around the globe. the sanctuary is one of the few places they have a chance to see rhinos in a natural habitat.

karen: we've been all over africa, western africa, and southernrn africa, and the rhio is the one thing that we have not seen. so, ananywhere where we have bn looking for the big five we've seen them, but the rhino have just evaded us. so this looked the one opportunity to be able to see them. reporter: the rhinos are onlny safe in the e sanctuary becauseo many rangers work here. raymond opio explains their strategy. raymond: the thing is, we are very successful up to today because of the community around. because we work hand in hand with the community around. and for this kind of p projecto stand, the first people is the community. a poacher cannot come from china area, anywhere to come and poach rhinos right from where they are. they have to use e the lol people, and if the local people are your friends, it is the best. now the local people are our informers.

reporter: and that includes the farmers in the area. they are allowed to graze their cattle in the sanctuary, up to 40 animals each per day. daniel: this sanctuary, they help us to grass our animamal. they have enough grass, which helps the animals to increase in the amount of milk. reporter: and the children in the area can now also attend school. it's financed by the rhino fund. the rangers regularly come to talk to the kids about the rhinos, and explain why they're so important. raymond: all of you know what a rhino is. what do rhinos have on their head? >> horns. raymond: how many horns? >> two. raymond: rhinos use their horn to protect themselves. how do they? they fight using their horn. if the enemy comes, they will use their horn and fight. did you know that?

when we started here, people within this area, they were like, it's fine to kill an animal, to kill a wild animal. it's fine to do anything to the wild. cutting trees, it was fine to them. and when we came to be here, it was a big tug of war to get a grassroot person to understand why we should conserve. reporter: raymond opio spends a lot of time out on patrol. he hopes that one day rhinos will again be able to live free, without need of protection. raymond: it will happen that the rhinos go back into the wild in uganda, but we need a very tough law for that, and also we need people that are very much committed in conservation. my dream is to see the rhinos being put back into the national park and multiplying in numbers in the national park of uganda.

reporter: but that will take at least 20 to 30 more years. only then will the organization have bred so many southern white rhinos that some can be released from the sanctuary to roam free in uganda's national parks. host: according to an international survey of eye doctors, in 30 years, half t te world's populalation will be short-sighted. that means everything past a certain distance will be out of focus for 4.7 billion people. researchers sadly predict that a billion of them will be almost blind. short-sightedness can be hereditary. but that can't possibly account for the dramatic increase in numbers. the condition begins in childhood, while the eyes are still developing. if you don't practice looking into the distance, you can end up short-sighted. in many countries, children spend too little time out of

doors, and too many hours staring at phones or tablets, starting at a very early age. this development is particularly acute in couountries likee singapore, south korea, china, and taiwan. repoporter: a dragon boaoat ran taipei. an excititing event, especiallyf you can tell who's out in front. yet many here can see about this much - -- practically noththi. some 80% o of taiwanese e chiln like pegeggy are severerely shortsighted by the timeme thy leavschohool. peggy's momother only rerealid this when n peggy was 1212 yes old. she wasas constantly y fag behind in classs tstsai: one day y she came homd couldn't r read anymore.e. the doctor tolme t that pegg would d need an opereration ii didn't do something out it straht awawa

reportrter: peggy wawas about o blblind. then, tragically, her faerer dieded ander motothecouldn't't afford laser eye surgery for her daughter. and so, from their small flat, peggy's mother began selling insurance policies. she'd then sew until thearly hours of thehe morning, scscrag together enough moneney for aa treatment that's bomome very polar inin et asia -- night lenses. e extrtra thk contntaclenses reshape the patient's corn whe theyey sle. but they'r're only effecectivf worn every n night. and peggy'y's mother h to keep buyingng new ones. tsai: it's expensive, but the eyes are the windows to the soul.. and d if she didn'n't see anyt, then the w world would b be a y da plalace. her thoughts, too. i want herer to have ligight thoughghts. chen: i was so scared d of goig blind.d. my m mother had alalready prepd me forort. she got me a sleeping ma, anand tataug me how to wash and ldld

my sksks witit o on,or when everhingng entually nt dark. rerter: pey y was cky. yet cases of sudn blbliness as a result of shortsightedne a are bebecomi ever r mo common n taiwan. they're malyly due tthee immense pressure of cccceeding atat school and ununiversit. anand the continued use of old chinese characters is al problematic. they t take a long t time to ln becacause they're e complicated diffult to decher. russ khan was a successfsful i. manager and had d just developea new software programhen n he woke up onmomornin lookekeat his llll pho, and d couldn't see anythingng. he had a dethed d rena. he'd igned his shortsigedness f too long. kh underwe 1 12 opationsns wiwiout success. rurussi actually triedo kill myself, d i i faed, of course. beuse whwh you're blind, it's difficult to do anything, includg susuicide.

so, it wasas inic, buthen it wato t theoint that my famyy madee rereale no matter what ppenededo me, if i'm bli, ii n't hehe, i can't t move, ththey're alwaysys going to bebe for r me. that's t the love. and because e of the familiy bondingsgs, it made meme reale that perhahaps if i sesettle n more myself, i canan do somethi. i i can stl dodo somhing f for myseself and otherers. rereporter: sincnce then he's n touring taiwan's schoo, , as a liviving wning t to hers. this pririncipal invitited him personallyly. she wants to m move away fromm conventitional, teacheher-ld clclasses, whichch can be badr the e eyes, and ininstead bringa more playful way of f learnin. khan f first describibes what s likeke to wake up p annot be ae to see. then htetells the stududents hw bestst to help a b blind pers. it's's a lesson ththat's becoa fixed part of e titimeble.

the princicipal wants toto atk thproboblem ad-on.n. toy, two professoraree visiting. she shows them h stutudes' high mararks. the professors are he onon behalf of the gornrnmentnd arere anyzing study meths.s. a high-ranking officiasits i i the bagrground wu: shorsightedns is now nanatial security probm m for taiwiw. we're struggli t to fi enginenes and soldiers. d if our studentcacan't e, th in n thend they can't lrnrn ythingng repoerer: thstudieieare uneqvocacal. whwh's needeare fefewer acacher-d lesssss, more eaeaks, d morereatural light. wu: ourececentxperimen with chickens and monys h hav clearly owown th r regul daylht can reduce myia i in chdren by 30% a ye. reporterevereryo agrees the staff ro, totoo.

it's thearents that are the principal's biest proboblem. huang: thehey keep telliling met there e are no gradedes for bg able to see well. it's exams they rere about. th sayay it's more i important r theieir children t to do welln those than i it is for thehem e able to sesee. khan, meanwhile, is breakiking momore taboos byby sgesting ge children learn less. russ: every half houwewe give oueyes a areak. for how long? >> 1 10 minutes. russ: : and how longng do you e to play outstside each dayay, ae ry leaeast? >> two h hours. repoporter: it's s something maf ththeir parents would rather nt admit, but mr. khais t their children's ideal teacher. a al p perso talkikingrom his own exrience, stead of deliveng a conntional lesson. hug: he's very speal person. hehere itaiwanan we sahe f fel frfrom the cloududs into a deeep vavalleyand hahad start a a

over again. the chdrdren undstanand th. and i admimire him for h his coe in shaharing his stotory with. reporter: khan's recommeatations are e immeately y puinto prpractice. it's time e to get out o of the classroooom. frfrom now, l l afternn clclase will be e held outsidede. the e puls here are now ararning thatat theealth h ofheir eyeyeis momore importantnt than intensne ststudy d goodod gdes. anand that this s sort of learg can be realllly fun. for most of those here, in any case. host: the fact is, we human beings sit around too much. according to a study by the world health organization, 42% of people in germany are couch potatoes. that's more than the global average. in kuwait, it may apply to as many as 67% of the population.

and that's bad for our health, too. too little exercise can give rise to diabetes, heart and circulation disorders, and weight problems. 2.3 billion people were overweight in 2016. in the small town of naron in northwest spain, people are actively tackling the issue. reporter: hard as it may be, they set off at 7:00 in the morning. and carlos pineiro knows only too well just how hard it can be. that's why the general practitioner always accompanies his patients on their daily walk. 20 to 40 people take part depending on the weather. some are overweight, others have heart problems or diabetes. but after three-quarters of an hour, they all feel great. jose: my friends are all round like barrels, drink too much beer, and then it's coffin here we come.

carlos, our doctor, says move around, don't eat so much, don't take so many pills, that's healthier. and i'm trying to do that. reporter: you don't want to end up like your friends? jose: no, i still have some fight in me. reporter: you need to be pretty optimistic to believe that you can persuade thousands of people to change their lives. at first people used to say, carlos is crazy. but the physician's got naron moving. in this s small town in n gali, in the f far northwewestern cor of s spain, almost 4000 people e taking part in this collective exercise. young and old, healthy and sick. and they have discovered a new sense of community along the way. sowing beans is pretty tough work. but this group of pre-schoolers doesn't seem to mind. now it's time to add a kernel of maize to each bean. and of course, everyone knows

what maize kernels are there for. >> it grows into popcorn. reportrter: well, not exactly, t that's where lorenzo comes in. he explains maize cobs come first. and they grow on plants that are this big. he can show the kikids the apps where apple juice comes from. and the children are even allowed to collect the eggs laid by lorenzo's chickens. the 80-year-old is one of the many volunteers who have embraced the health project. he believes children should learn where food comes from. lorenzo: i show them that salad and cabbages are healthy and completely normal food. how can they know if they like something or not if they've never seen it? reporter: alesandra has lost nine kilos. she's a veteran of carlos pineiro's project. miguel, a relative newbie, is also here for a weigh-in.

carlos: if you keep up your 2000 steps every y morning, then youe on the right path. reporter: everyone whoho has signed up p to the project this that the most important thing about it is thatat they're not alone. miguel: there is an advantage to doing things together. you u don't want to look stupidn front of the others. so on some days when you really don't feel likike getting out f bed, you do it anyway. spain are overweight, and obesity rates have doubled in the last 20 years. in galicia, a relatively poor region, the development is particularly visible. unemployment here is high. many people don't get enough exercise. obesity is frequently linked to poverty. carlos: of course, everyone is responsible for their own health. but it would be a mistake to blame individuals for this

disease. the problem is more common in particular social backgrounds. reporter: seafood and fish used to be a staple part of the diet here in galicia. today, many of these products are fairly expensive. meat, bread, or eggs often end up in people's shopping carts instead. restaurateur diego platas says that doesn't need to be the case. he's making sardines today. they are currently in season, and he says they're full of healthy fats and very affordable. ten restaurants in naron, including diego's, are participating in the health project. their mission is to return to atlantic cuisine with simple-to-prepare food that people can also cook for themselves. and the chefs are happy to tell customers how. diego: this is not sorcery. prepare good quality products well and enjoy them, whether it

takes three minutes or an hour. but people don't take the time to cook these days. reporter: at medical and public health conferences, delegates are being informed about this health project that draws on the expertise of chefs, retirees, and patients. researchers say what is happening in naron is trailblazing. evan: their initiative really attempts to engage the whole community. they're talking about interacting with almost every single member of the city. and that really doesn't happen anywhere else. reporter: and if it's to work, it must be fun, too. that's the line that local schools are taking. sports teachers say kids should be motivated and not preached to. children are getting a chance to try out games and pastimes that their grandparents used to enjoy. >> everyone had forgotten about the old games. now we're playing them again.

>> if i forget a rule, i just ask my g grandparents to remid me. >> boys and girls always play football separately. but we can play the old games together. reporter: over the next two years, the aim is to get up to 12,000 people moving. the project leaders are convinced they'll achieve this goal thanks to new ideas and the revival of past traditions. together, they have taken a big step forwards. >> i a am a glob t teen. host: todaday, our global teen cocomes from costata rica. ♪

sharon: mymy name is shaharon pa pinellll anali i'm m 17ears old and i le e in cacaago, costa rica. i i have three s sisters and mm inin cachi. i get along reallyly well with them. one sisister is engagaged ande liveves in pueblo o nuevo. makes me really happy to be withy fafamily nonoing makememe happier. when i i'm away fromom them it sad. they're atat makese hahappiest life.

in my free time i like to wahh tv o or ay with my siste sometimes i play footbal orr listen to music. when i'm oldlder i'd like e ton a beautyty salon with h my sis. we'd r run it togethther. atat's my eam.m. if thahat doesn't work out, dd likeke to sign c cloes. i'd d also like toto have chiln wiwith my boyfririend, and i t them t to finish higigh schoold not dropop out like i i did. then they could do somethi wi theiririves. there are serious s problems he. people lea t trash a ovever th

plplace. there i isn't enough h. someeoplple li on ththe reet. othersanan onlaffordrdo rent a me.. th don't'tave enough money anthey suffer alonwithth tir chchilen. announcer: who cares about the flower industry's destructive pacts? >> i do. nouncer:ho careses about glglobal lgbt rights? >> i i do. announcer:r: who cares about homeless people living on the streets of l.a.? >> i do. a announcer: who o sups sustainanable farming in the amon? >> i do. nouncer: who cares about equauality for womomen in afr? >> i do.

we're back next week, and in the meantime don't forget to write to us, global3000@dw.com, or on facebook, dw global society. see you next time. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

woman: 4.3 billion people live across this vast continenet called asia, and we are tetelling their ststories. on this edition--breathing new life to old structures. beijing's ancient neighborhoods get a makeover. crumbling monumements. the challenges in saving and preserving some of the most prized relics of pakistan's past. and, back to the basics. how some nepalese are il