♪ obobesity is a serious proble. the solution? finding strength in numbers. nearsightedness is skyrocketing in asia. we go to taiwan to find out wh 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 fortune 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 otherr parts of ugaganda. 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 gestatioion 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 e mother is the sameme character. ththe motherer will hear jususta small stick breaking, she is very alert. she is already facing that area, thatat directition. 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 90 rangers work 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, sleleep, and wander. 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 sees them twice a year. 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 h here from around de 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 sosouthern africa, and the rhio is the one thing that we have not seseen. so, anywhere where we have been 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 a are ony safe i in the 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 kinind of 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 t to use 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 animals. 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 someme can be relead from the sanctuary to roam free in uganda's national parks. host: according to an international survey of eye doctors, in 30 years, , half te world's s population wilill 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 e in countrieses like singapore, south korea, china, and taiwan. reporter: a dragagon boat racen taipei. anan exciting event, especiallyf you can tell who's out in front. yet many here can see about this much -- practicalllly nothing. someme 80% of taiwiwanese chdrn lilike peggy are severely shortsighted by ththe time thy avave scho. peggggy's mother o only realid thisis when peggy y was 12 yes old. s she was conststantly fag behind in n class tsai: onone day she cacame homd coululdn't read ananymore. the doct tolold me thapepeggy would need a an operation n ii didn't do something abouit straight away.

reporter: pepeggy was abouout o blind. then, tragically, her father diednd h her mher cocoul'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 unt the early hours s of the mornining, scrag tother enougugh money y for a treatment that's become ryry popupular east t ia -- nighgt lenses. ththe extrthicick coact lelenss reshape the patient'cocornea whilile th sleepep. but t they're only effective f worn e every night.. ananpeggy's mother has to keep yiying new ones.s. tsai: it's expensive, but the eyes are the windowsws to the soul. and if shehe didn't see e anyt, thenen the world w would be a y dadark place. her thoughts, to i wawant her to hahave light thoughts. chenen: i was so s scared of gg blind. my mother r had already y prepd meor i it. she got me a sleepinmamask, an ught m me w to wash and fold

mymy socks witith it on, foron evererything eventntually wentn. reporter: : peggy was lulucky. yet t cases of sududden blindnes result of shortsightedness are bemingng evemore c comn in taiwan. they're mainly d t to the immense pressure of succeedingg at school l and universisit. and the continued use of old chinese characters ialso problemamatic. they take a a long time toto ln because ththey're complilicated fficult toecipipher. russ khan was a successf i.t. manager anand had st d develed a new software proamam whehe woke up one moing,g, lked at his cellhonene, and couldndn't e ananything. he had aetetacheretinana he'd ignoredis shtsightedss for t long. khanndererwe 12 operations, witht t succs. russ: i actuallyried to ll mylf, , ani failed, of coue.e. becacae when you're blind, it's difficult to do anything clududing suicide.e.

so, , it was ironic, but then t wawas to the poioint that my fy madede me realize e no mattewht hahappen to meme, if i'm blilii cacan't hear, i i can't mov, they're e always goingng to be e for me. ththat's the lovove. and bebecause of thehe famiy bobondings, it m made me reale thatat perhaps if i settle d n re myself,f, i can do sosomethi. i caststill doometethingor myself andnd others. reporterer: since thenen he's n touring taiwan's schools, as livi wararningo othehers ththis principalal invited himim persrsonally. she wantnts to move awayay from coconventional, , teacher-ld classes,s, which can b be badr the eyes, , and instead d bringa mo playful w way of learninin. khan first d describes whahat s like to wawakep and nonobe able to see. then he tellththe studts how besto hehelp blind person. it's lesesson at's b become a fixed pa of f thtimetable.

the e principal wawants to atk ththe prlem heheadn. today, two prossorors e visiting. she shows em h hertudents' hihigh marksks. the professors a h here bebelf of the governnt a andre analyzyzg study methods. high-ranng official sitsn e e backound.. wushort-sitedness now a national securitprproblefor taiwan. we're stgggglingo fifind engineeranand soiers.. and if ourtudedentcan't see, ththenn the end they c't't learn ananytng. rerepoer: the studies ee uneqeqvocal. what'seeded d are fewe teher-lelelessons, more brea, anand more natural light wu: ouourecent eerimentsitith chicicns and mkeys hav early shn that rular daight c c reduce myopia i ildreneny 30% a year. rerterer: eryone aees in the stf roroomtoo.

it the parents that are the principas biggesest problem. huanang: they keepep telling met there are nono grades for r ig able to see well. it's examshehey care aboutut. ththey say it's s more importatr their chilildren to do w welln those than it is for them to be ablele to see. khan, meanwhile, is s breaking more tababoos by suggegestinge children learn less. russ: every half hour we gee our r eyes breakak. r how lolo? >> 10 minunutes. russ: and hohow long do yoyou e to plalay outside eaeach day, e vevery lst? > two hours. reporter: : it's somethihing maf their pants would rather not adt,t, but m khan is tir ildren's ideal teacher. a a real pson,n, talng frorohis n experice, instd of livering conventnal leon. huang:e's a ve special person. re in n taiwane sasay heell from thehe clouds intoto a deep vaey, , and d to s sta all

over again. e e childr undnderstd thatat. and d i admire himim for his coe in sharing h his story wititu. reporter: khan's recommendatio are medidiatelput ininto practice.. it's's time to getet out of thee clclassroom. fromowow, all ternrnoon assess wiwill be held o outside. thpupilslsere are now learni thathe h healtof theheiryes is more impmportant than n intense study anand good gradedes. and thatat this sort o of learg can bebe really 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 f peoe to change their lives. at first people used to say, carlos is crazy. but the physician's got naron moving. inin this small totown in gali, inin the far n northwestern cor of spainin, 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. reporter: well, not exactly, but that's where lorenzo comes in. he explains maize cobs come first. and they grow on plants that are this big. he can show w the kids 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. lorenznzo: i show them t that d 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.

carlrlos: if you keep up your 20 steps s every morning, then youe on the right path.h. reporter: everyoyone who has signgned up to the project this that the most important t thig about it i is that they're not alone. miguel: there is an advantage to doing things together. you don't want to look stupid dn front of the others. so on some days when youou reay don't fefeel like 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 toto tl 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 w wor, 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 asask my 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 am a global tn. host: today, our global teen comes from costa rica. ♪

shararon: my name e is sharon pa pinellnaliliz. i'm 17 years oldnd i i le in carto,o, cos rica.a. i have t three sistersrs and mm in cachihi. i get along g really well l wh them. one sister i is engaged anande lives in p pueblo nuevo.o. it makak me really happy to be thth my faly.. noing mamas me happipier. wh i'm awaway from them m i gt sad. they're what meses me happiestt in life.

in my free time i likeo o watch tvr playayith my sisisr. somemes i play fooalall, or lilist to musisic. when i i'm older i'd'd like ton a a beauty salonon with my sis. we'd runun it together that my y drea if that doesn't workutut, i'd li to dedesi clotheses. i'd also l like to have e chiln with my y boyfriend, a and i t them to fininish high schohoold nonot drop out l like i did. then they could do setething withthheir liv.. there are seseous proble here. people leave tra a all ovethee

place. t there isn't e enough m. someme peoe liveve othe strere. hehers c only y ford to rent a home theyeyon't have enoughoneyey, and they suffealonong th their children. announcer: who cares about the flower industry's destructive impacts? >> d do. annocer: whoho cares about global lgbt rights? >> i do. annonouncer: who cares about homeless people living on the streets of l.a.a.? >> i do. announcer: who ppororts sustainable farming in the amazon? >> i do. announcer: who cares about equality f for women in n 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]

narrator: today on "earth focus"... spills like the bp disaster in the gulf get the headlines, but they're a fraction of the problem. the new film, "oil in our waters," exposes illegal oil dumping in the shipping industry. director micah fink explaiains. coming up on "earth focus." [indistinct radio transmissions] richard: to any authorities concerned: this is to inform you of illegal discharging of oily wawater from bilge tank,k, which happppened las