meet girls who are learning to defend themselves. their motto -- be bold and strong. in the dominican republic, piles of trash litter the streets and the countryside. the answer? recycling. and in israel, there's hope for critically ill palestinians. among them, some very young children. just over 70 years ago, the united nations voted to divide

palestine. the aim was to create a new home for holocaust survivors and jewish settlers from around the world. it spurred many conflicts between the israelis and the local arab population. in a series of wars, israel expanded its territory, taking control of large swathes of palestinian areas. palestinians in urgent need of medical cacare used to be ready admitted to israeli hospitals. but by 2016, a fifth were unable to access treatment. a group of volunteers is trying to help bridge the gap. reporter: on this beach close to the town of caesarea, volunteers are getting ready for some special guests. the israelis are full of anticipation. their visitors are coming from the west bank. and they are just as excited about the trip.

they are palestinians who've been granted a special entry visa. the invitation came from an israeli organization called baderech lehachlama, meaning the road to recovery. shuli: we want them to have fun and feel happy. as an israeli i feel bad because we arere their occupiers. i get involved to ease my guilty conscience a little. reporter: it's the firirst tie most of the palestinians have ever seen the sea, because israel has sealed off the west bank for fear of terrorist attacks. a carefree day at the beach, albeit one with a serious motive. each of these families has at least one member with a dangerous medical condition.

six-year-old zakaria has leukemia. his family comes from hebron. kajed: he can't get proper treatment at home. zakaria needs a bone marrow transplant. but we haven't got the equipment or the specialists. his only chance of recovery is in israel, in tel aviv. reporter: that's where raffi seelelig from tel aviv comes i. he and zakaria are just getting acquainted. and now he's hoping to introduce the little boy to the sea. at today's outing, the israelis and the palestinians get to know each other, so that the organization can fulfill its main mission of helping to provide access to medical treatment. in this case it means driving zakaria from his home in hebron to a hospital in tel aviv. it's a few days later now, at 4:00 in the morning, and zakaria's mother is getting the boy ready for the long journey.

a short while later, raffi is also up and about at home in tel aviv. the retired musician supports reconciliation in his homeland by devoting some of his free time to the road to recovery project. he is one of 1400 volunteers. raphael: it's my personal way of contributing. i don't go to political demonstrations, but i have time to volunteer for this organization. and that's what i do. reporter: the grandfather of raffi's wife varda was an early vivictim of the coconflict betn arabs and jews in palestine. he was killed in an attack in the 1880's. she herself lost her brother to the conflict. varda:a: but it's not just uwho suffer. the palestinians are suffering, too. suffering is part of being human and we must accept that.

to recognize the suffering of others is the first step toward peace. reporter: and then they head toward their meeting point. zakaria and his father through the west bank towards tel aviv. raffi i drives from tel aviv towards hebron. they have arranged to meet at israel's tarqumya checkpoint. raffi waits for his passengers among thousands of palestinian workers who've managed to obtain a coveted israeli work permit. it's not easy to find someone in the morning crush. but then he spots them. the palestinian father and son have to cross the checkpoint on foot. without raffi to transport them, zakaria and his father would be stuck here. they could never afford the expensive taxi fare to tel aviv. like zakaria, tens of thousands of palestinians are treated in

israel every year. that means 30 to 60 trips every day for the road to recovery volunteers. the men chat half in arabic, half in hebrew, about their families, kids, everyday life. after the hour-long drive to tel aviv's sheba medical center, they say goodbye. another volunteer will take the two palestinians back to the west bank later. kajed: we avoid talking about politics during the drive, because i don't want to say anything bad about the israelis. i don't want to get him mad orr make him think that we palestinians don't appreciate what the organization is doing for us. but at the same time, i don't want to feel like i have to pay for the trip by praising israeli policies. so politics is taboo.

reporter: nonetheless, they've gotten to know each other a little and chatted about life's worries. that's a lot given the current state of israeli-palestinian relations. but above all, after his treatment in israel, zakaria will have a good chance of making a complete recovery. zakaria: i've got leukemia. reporter: he says that's bad. but he is feeling better. kajed: and when zakaria's all well agagain and g grown up, ie that he and the entire next generation make a better job of things than we did. arabs and jews. i hope the young can correct the mistakes that we made. reporter: at the beach, zakaria did finally go into the water. and once in, he didn't want to get out again. his mother also took advantage of what might very well be a once in a lifetime opportunity. soha: before zakaria fell ill i

considered the israelis my enemy. but that's changed since i came here to israel with him, and saw the kind of care they gave him. israel, palestine, they aren't important to me now. the only thing that matters is my son zakaria. reporter: his road to recovery has overcome barriers. physical ones at the checkpoints, as well as those between people. host: plastic bottles are everywhere. 480 billion were sold worldwide in 2016. and that figure continues to rise. by 2021, it's likely to hit 580 billion. in many gigions of thehe worl, especialally in asia, there isa lack of ean ground water, which is why many people opt to buy bobottled water in plastsc bottles.s. repoporter: plastic bottles ae made from petroleum.

they're light, practical, and can be found pretty much everywhere. globally, a million are sold every single minute of the day. if they were placed end-to-end, the plastic bottles sold in 2016 would form a chain stretching all the way to the planet mercury. but we don't need to go to mercury. so, you've bought a drink in a plastic bottle and finished it. what happens next? in an ideal scenario, it will be reused. some can be refilled up to 15 times if they're washed properly. most aren't that sturdy, though. many end up in a shredder, where they're ground up into flakes of plastic. these can be used to make products like fleece clothing. very nice. except f for the fact that evey time the fleece is washed, it releases plastic particles into the water. what about the rest of the plastic bottles? they get thrown away, dropped

right in the street or somewhere out t in nature. a significant portion of them land in dumps, or are eventually carried out to sea.. between five million and 13 million tons of plastic garbage end up in the ocean every year. a huge problem, because plastics can take up to 450 years to decompose. if plastic trash doesn't get caughtht in propellelers on shir isisn'washed u up on the b be, then the floating pieces grow smaller and smaller as they drift with the currents. algae grows on their surfaces, and that draws fish and seabirds. they think the particles are food, and swallow them. when too much collects in their stomachs, real food no longer passes through, and they starve. and if those fish end up in our nets, they enter our food supply directly, either as fresh or canned seafood. dodoe want to o eat that? no we don't, because it certainly isn't healthy.

host: in july 2018, these imeses shococked e worlrld plasticic clogging the beaches of the dodominican repupublic. strong storms, winds and currtsts broug thehe trash on to shore. inin just six x days, voluntnteh cocollected aroundnd 60 tons off wastste. part of i it came froe dominican republic itself. our repoporter christophpher springate went to the caribbean country to see what local people are doing about the plastic invasion. reporter: the nigua river, in the small town of san cristobal. it could be so beautiful. but instead, rubbish clogs the streets here, posing a serious threat to the health of local residents. that's always angered dionisio brito. he's the head of the neighborhood association in one of san cristobal's poor districts.

dionisio: the river is seriously contaminated by the rubbish. and the locals suffer from that. all the rats, the flies, the mosquitoes, they bring disease. we have a lot of kids running around here barefoot. and the truth is, that makes me very sad. reporter: but things are changing in this district, thanks to in large part to dionisio's commitment. he takes me to the local school, which plays an important role in what everyone here just calls the project. education is one of the project's key elements. science teacher juan pablo fabian regularly reminds his class how important it is to separate waste, into organic and non-organic. un-separated rubbish festers and ferments, producing greenhouse gases that damage the climate.

juan pablo: so our organic waste comes into this compost, into this wooden container. and thanks to certain insects and certain bacteria, this organic material decomposes. but it doesn't attract rats and other vermin, because it decomposes without causing any awful smell. and that of course is what rats love, that awful smell. reporter: during lunch break, the theory is put into practice. after eating their meal, juan pablo's pupils take the biodegradable leftovers outside to the school compost, disposing of them in an exemplary way. individual commitment is also

making a difference at the national level. working with germany's agency for technical cooperation, the giz, and with an alliance of environmental organizations, politician franciscoco matos hs designed an important new laww which is soon to be passed. it foresees companies setting up a national recycling system, and also forces the country y to cle down its open waste disposal sites. francisco: this law establishes a system that will de-contaminate the sites that are contaminated. imagine a country forced to repair the damage caused in 350 contaminated waste disposal sites. how do we do that, how do we make those sites disappear? only with a law that forces us to closese the sites where wase is burnt, where the waste is contaminated. and that would be a huge step forward.

reporter: so far, the country has just one modern recycling facility, which was opened last year in the northern city of santiago. every day, around 1000 tons of waste are delivered here. the facility says only 15% of that rubbish is unusable. the rest is processed into industrial fuel, used for agriculture, or recycled. the workers here are former waste pickers who once roamed a nearby dump. back in san cristobal, what makes dionisio particularly proud are ththe areas his community has managed to clean up. this used to be an informal rubbish tip, with waste covering the entire area. he shows me pictures of the day

he and dozens of volunteers cleared tons of rubbish. dionisio: we now have a clean environment here. the air is pure, there are no ratsts, no mosquitoes. and that motivates the residents. they had no clue before, no information. but now they do. the project gave them thatat education, and they grgrabbed e opportunity. reporter: today, the locals are even using the river to swim again. it's become a source of joy, for the e kids, in particular. announcer: whoares abobout the flowower industry'y's destruce impacts? >> i d do. annonouncer: who c cares about global lgbt rights?

>> i do. announcer: who cares about homeless people living on the streets of l.? >> i do. announcer: who supports sustainable farming in the amazon? >> i do. announce who cares about equality for women in africa? >> i do. and that's why i follow dw global society. host: one third of women worldwide will be a victim of vience at t ast once i in their lives. acid attacksks and rape, life s particularly dangerous for women in india. religious and traditional factors play a role in attacks on women in afghanistan d somalia, too. and in syria, many women have been brutally tatargeted durig the war. a u.s. study revealed how essential it can be to fight back. screaming can help, tt selflf-dense is bett, no matter what kind. studies suggest self-defense

reduces the chance of being raped by 80%. what's key i is being strorongd fefeeling prepared. we went to kenya's capital, nairobi, to meet up with some determined girls. they're fighting to assert their place in society. emily: i see myself going far. being a role model is something i admire. and to an extent i do call myself a feminist because i'm proud of what i'm doing. reporter: hit hard, be fearless. emily's been practicing jabs at the boxgirls club for 10 years. girls age eight and older can come here to train, or just play around. it's not just about fighting. they also learn how to assert themselves in the rough and tumble of slum life.

that's the main thing. emily: as a woman, you are supposed to fight hard for you to attain the kind of position that a man has been given in the community. so as a girl you must make your own choices and let your yes-be-yes and your no-mean-no. reporter: emily didn't know how to do that before she began training here. hard to imagine when you see her punches land. but her coach recalls how insecure she was at first. sarah: when she first joined the program she was a girl who was kind of shy, and she was not the person to open up and speak about her issues. reporter: the young women here have plenty of those. they come from the poor quarter of kariobanga in kenya's capital, nairobi. the slum is wracked by violence. one of emily's friends was raped. many families have no money. so the girls leave school and marry early.

emily lives with her parents. they were against the boxing to begin with. emily: there was a rumor that was rurunning over that ifif u join that kind of sport if you are a woman, then it will become difficult for you to get married, because men will be fearing you will be beating your husband. reporter: emily laughs, but it's a sad fact that girls have to make good marriage candidates. parents are glad when there is someone else to look after their daughters. emily's mother has very little money. she hopes her daughter will earn enough money to help the family once she has completed her schooling. perhaps as a doctor or nurse. she would never have thought that possible before. fridah: she used to do poorly at school, but since she's been boboxing she's got a goal. she was shy, and when you spoke

to her it was like s she didnt hehear you. but now she uses her head. reporter: the club pays emily's school fees. her family can't afford it. the boxgirls also demonstrate for women's rights. after r the rally, i it's timo warmrm up for a school tournamt in kisumu in western kenya. >> i'm scared because i don't know if i'll win or r lose. >> i feel proud when i'm in the ring. i always want to fight. reporter: emily's also here. she gives the younger girls tips, reassures them. then, the matches begin. neither opponent holds back.

but here, both sides win -- another aspect of boboxgirls philosophy. now it's emily's turn to climb into the ring. what goes through her mind during a bout? emily: i was just trying to imagine that i'm in such a situation whereby i saw that i could have done it. maybe when he could have come and tried to abuse my rights there, i could have stood up and tried to find a a way out. reporter: the kariobanga sports club is financed by donations. some of the coaches are successful international boxoxe.

but whether or not the young women become boxers or take up another profession, emily's certain all the girls here will achieve something. emily: i can see a girl being a chief, leading others. i can see a girl being a politician, standing in the government with other leaders. reporter: nowadays emily's entrusted with looking after the younger girls. after training, they talk about self esteem. how to respect and love themselves so that no one can harm them. being ststrong and bold. host: and before we go, it's time for global snack. today we have a savory treat from mexico. reporter: sunday afternoon in the city of chetumal in

southeastern mexico. a chance to spend time with the family. and let someone else do the cooking. on weekends, there are lots of tasty treats on offer here. raul montejo runs a popular stand. his specialty -- tacos al pastor, shepherd style. before it lands on the grill, the pork is marinated in pineapple, dried chilies, and spices. it's served on tortillas or with bread. a generous squeeze of lime juice and they're ready to go. some like a sprinkle of onions and coriander, too. >> so delicious. reporter: why? >> the flavor is sensational. the pineapple, the lime. it's something special. reporter: there's an array of extra sauces and toppings, and raul has other meats.

raul: we serve paprika sausage, marinated pork, and cutlets. repopoer: and fofor the discerng palette, arrrrachera, fine skit steak. customers often order as many as seven different kinds of tacos. each one costs 60 euro cents. >> the meat is really good. the sauce isis a special blendf spices, not too hot. the pork is nicely browned. hardly any other stand has such a variety of sauces and veggie toppings on offer. it's so good. reporter: even after nightfall the customers keep coming. >> our top seller is pork tacos al pastor. it's something you'll find everywhere. you'll find it all over mexico. everybody likes it. visitors, tourists, everyone. reporter: and raul will serve

until next time, take care. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

ruben martinez: a century ago, hundreds of thousands of mexicans fled the chaos of the mexican revolution, most of them arriving in los angeles, gravitating to the old pueblo area around olvera street. raquel gutierrez: they recreated a sense of home and history in the theaters of the nearby broadway corridor, where