hoho: welcome e to "global 300" growing up is all about t takig chargege of your own life. bubut sometimemes that means overcoming s some serious challenges. as we find out from a young cuban dancer, whose passion for ballet hasas meant leaving her homeland. we meet a singer desperate to swap the limitations of life in gaza for greater freedom and opportunities. and we report on people living near a windpark in kenya whose hopes of a better life have so far been dashed. unrest is brewing in manany mide eastern and north african countries. and it's mainly coming from

young people, who want security and a better future. unicef says around half of the region's population are under 24. that's at least 200 million people. yet, depending on the country, up to a third of those aged between 15 and 24 are jobless. and the figure is much higher when it cos to women. so they, too, are out on the strereets, voicing t their anged demandnding their riright to frm and self-detetermination.. reporter: the mirror doesn't always reflect such a smiling face. there are days when wafaa alnajili is tearful and despairing. but however she feels, she never gives up. she keeps fighting for her dream of being a singer and living a free, self-determined life in gaza.

the videos she posts on facebook show a talenteyoung womawith a voice crng out to heard. but it a voice that gaza's macho, islamist society wanttoto since.e. wafaa: one of my cousins called my dad. "your daughter, she's a singer, huh? and she's putting her photos on facebook. and her songs. where do you think we are living, in america? we are in gaza. you have to stop her." reporter: it's bad enough that wafaa sings. the fact she sings in english is considered an outrage. her detractors say her she looks western. her headscarf doesn't hide her hairline. she's 27 and unmarried, but she doesn't live with her parents. and she's not afraid to speak her mind.

wafaa: i don't feel it's my country and i want to stay here and have this frickin' war every year and i have to defend my country. no. i just want to be myself, live freely, and sing, and hahave y own life, my own job. no fear. just peace, love, happiness. reporter: wafaa rents a small room in gaza city. she's a nurse, but hasn't been able to find a job. gaza's economy is in a state of collapse. she gets by with odd jobs, but worries constantly that she won't be able to afford her independence for much longer. wafaa: actually i am so happy, because i am alone. yeah, i am kind of independent. i have my own work, and i have my own space. reporter: alone, but not lonely.

wafaa's friend mohamed is also a musician. this is the first time he's ever visited her at home. here in gaza, being together unchaperoned is out of the question. wafaa: i just put half of my faface in his face. just like onone person. like, he is my soul mate. this is what i mean. reporter: mohamed plays in a band. he gave wafaa this guitar as a gift. his parents don't think much of his musical talent. but he lives for his music. in their opinion, it's a waste of time. mohamed: once when i was away, they destroyed all my instruments. wafaa: his family refused me. completely.

his dad refused. he said, "no, not this girl. she's a singer, she's an open-minded person. she's not a good girl for you. don't get engaged. you can find another girl. but not her." reporter: but mohamed doesn't want to find another girl? [laughter] wafaa: no. reporter: unlike mohamed's parents, wafaa's family doesn't have a problem with their music. they're on their way to visit her family. they live in rafah, a town in the southern gaza strip. rafah is a highly dangerous place. it's a bastion of islamist militants, and the majority of the population live in abject poverty. in gaza city we were allowed to film from our car, but when we drive into rafah, we're immediately stopped by the police.

to live in gaza is to live in fear. wafaa: this is my dad. reporter: this is your father? wafaa: yeah, this is my father. reporter: it's such an honor seeing you. wafaa's father quickly ushers us inside. he doesn't want the neighbors to see us. the whole family is viewed with suspicion. they're all musicians, and that makes them outsiders. wafaa's father is well-known. decades ago he won a talent contest in israel and performed in haifa and tel aviv. but that was in another lifetime, before travel restrictioions were imposed on residents of gaza. before hamas took control in 2007 and israel and egypt imposed the blockade of gaza strip. before life became a waking nightmare.

wafaa's father remembers a time when music brought people together. nowadays, gaza feels like a prison. abed: i'm not happy that wafaa lives in a different place. but i know s she needs to flee e reality we find ourselves in here. her father is sad to let her go but he understands why she chooses to live in gaza city, where there's a little more freedom than in rafah. and there are also more people who are similar to wafah and mohamed. like-minded people who often meet up in this café. the mood here is relaxed and happy, which is rare in gaza. it's a welcome refuge from the harsh reality of daily life.

wafaa: close my eyes and wake up, find myself like, oh my god, in anotherer place, i'i'm outf gazaza. no home, there is no future here for the youth, for us. if i have to stay here for another year, i wiwill lose my life. reporter: but wafaa isn't the type to give up. she won't lose sight of her dream. host: according to the u.n. refugee agency, by late 2018, there were more than 70 million displaced persons worldwide. often people flelee their homeso escape warar or viololence. but others go in search of work, to help support themselves and their families. or becausese they crcrave morere self-detetermination and autony than they had at home.

reporter: six years ago, arianni had her first role as a soloist. she and her ensemble were touring mexico, and she seized the opportunity to defect. arianni: i get goosebumpmps. i just remember that it was hard, it was really hard. and at the same time, just like, i didn't know what was going to happen. and i didn't know that i was going to have a job right away. and, yeah, it was just hard. reporter: she was lucky. just a few months later, she signed a contract with ballet arizona. she defected along with six other ballet dancers, including alejandro. today, they're married. in cuba, they earned $25 a month, not enough to survive.

now, arianni is onone of her company's highest-earners. for her, dance opens the doors to another world. arianni: it is important, to have a beautiful costume, to feel beautiful on the stage, right? and it's a completely different world, the world of ballet, and we put on stage this story this beautiful story. of course it's completely different to our normal life and our normal world. reporter: christmas is coming, and arianni is rehearsing "the nutcrackcker." shshe's dancing g the role ofe snow queen. cuban ballet has a long tradition, and its classical dancers are trained by excellent teachers. arianni: and i remember that she always used to say we are

different because of our sensuality at the time of dancing. like, when we dance, we give everything on the stage, and we just show that, you know, salsa. it's not like that, it's not like we dance salsa when we are doing ballet. but yeah, we give something different, i think. reporter: ib andersen is the artistic director of ballet arizona. originally from denmark, he was an acclaimed ballet dancer himself. he hired the cuban dancers because he has a deep appreciation of their technique and of the character they bring to their craft. ib: they have a different way of seeing life. they're not afraid. and it's almlmost like old scho. you know, like, they love life, and they are not afraid of showing emotion. reporter: for these young students, arianni is a role

model, regardless of her origins. the cuban ballerina was granted a residence permit a year after arriving in the u.s. after five years, she became an american citizen. back in 2013, when arianni arririved, cubans were s still treated like first-class immigrants. arianni is doing well in her new home. but it still feels foreign. she misses the street life at home. america's huge supermarkets often make her feel sad about the situation in cuba, which has become harder again now that president trump has imposed tough new sanctions. arianni: sometimes when i sit anani have dinner, i thinknk abt them, because theyey probably arenen't eating the same as im eating, or not as good.

reporter: arianni and alejandro are living the american dream. but they didn't leave cuba for political reasons. both grew up being taught that the u.s. was the enemy, and they didn't question this thinking. arianni: from the time we were children, we learned in history class that the u.s. is a monster, is evil. i don't know if that has changed nowadays. reporter: trump's policy is damaging cuba, they say, but they're reluctant to criticize their new home. alejandro: we have more possibilities here. we earn more, and can have a comfortable and happy life here, and can support our families back in cuba. reporter: their new life would be perfect if only they didn't

miss their families so much. so the couple meet up with cuban friends as often as possible. tonight, they're trying out a new cuban restaurant. arianni: we have quality time. and it is very special. as she said, we are family. we are the only thing we have hehere, you know? and we a are all the same, we e cubans. reporter: here in their new home in arizona, they like to seek out places that remind them of where they come from. arianni and alejandro are grateful to the u.s. they have no intention of returning to cuba. but they hope that one day, relations between the u.s. and cuba will improve.

host: this week in " "global ideas," we're off to the himalayan peaks, where renewable energy usually comes in the form of h hydropower. the annapurna slopes are now home to many micro hydropower plants. they've changed the life of villagers there. local experts showed our reporter julia mielke and her team how it works. reporter: the bark of the daph rub,b, ao known as loktahahas to be washed and then ileded i order toakake par fromomt. when electrici c came thiss ea, , poorna gurunung was finay able to pupurchase aoioiler ad shredd. today, h he has 10 empmployeest collect t and wash thehe lta ba. the heavy work is done by chchines. poorna: we usesed to have totol the lokta bark using firewood and stamp onon it with ourur feo softenen it.

reportrter: the elecectricity s om a a sma hydroroeltric powow anant. theoverernmenhas bebeen prproting them in this mountain reregion for years, , and givg loans s to entrepreneueurs and farmers soso they can buy machines.. poororna: after ththe power pt was ininstalled and d we got electricity, i was ia better position e economically. i had lolower labor cocosts, i was able t to make a prorofit, i could even save some money. reporter: the annapurna mountain range in the himalayas overlooks the village of gandruk, which lies at an elevation of 2000 meters. this is where poorna gurung lives. the area has a lot of water. so it makes sense to install hydroelelectric power r plants, which arare relativelyly easyo

build, and are environmentally friendly. government support for the hydropower projects is granted only to villages that agree to pitch in. ten years ago, biddya bishwakarma helped to build this power plant. today,y, she's the d deputy man. ththe village memeanwhile has e of these powerer plants, eacachh a a management b board and a mamanager. ththey handle ththfinances ththemselves. biddya: atat the moment,t, the t is selelf-sustainingng. the fee we get from our customers helps us pay our staff. and it's enough to maintain the plant as well. reporter: ththe electricitity m the hydropopow plant w w also a essing for shanta maya gurung, whrunsns a bery.

the mother of two can now ovide e e entire village withh bread. shanta: : i was the fifirst pen toto open a bakekery here. reporterer: for the past five yes, s she'seen babaki bread re. her brother works her sid she's s already mananaged to paf ththe mixer and thoven, bubut f something breaks, itanan get expeive. santa:a: it can be d difficulf one of t the machines s stos workrking. ththen we have t to go all they to pokokhara to haveve it fix. reportrt: fortunately, she also earns money from her small kiosk, which is right next to the bakery. lol peoplele are her main customers,s, but touriststs whoe here t to go climbining in the anannapurna moununtains somets shopere, t too the village e of gharuk k is he to about 5200 people.

the power plplants h have chad their liveves. they now cooook with e electri, and there e are two telecommununications masts in e village. health care has alalso improve. yam: recently, i hadentatal treatment, which wasas oy ssssible becsese theedicalal station haelecectrity now. wiout electricity,one e of this w would est.. everyone i is making thehe mosf it. rertrter: nethelels, about 40% ofof pple in the villas hehere stildon't ha electrity. papal habebeen wking t trenew anand expa thehe ectricici grid, ter a devastatineartrthqke destroyemumuch oit f fouyears ag hydroeltric pow is the lincnchp of the vevernme's pl. a lot hachanged r paper mar popoor gurung. 's's evebeen a ae to open a sh in n poara, thehe second largest t cityn nepapal.

this is whwhere he sellsls his untreated papaper, as wellll as products sucuch as diaeses and noteoks, c car, and lampshades. this income made it possib f for ththe wiwer toto rse his t two childrenen and send ththem o school. his daughter nowivives i poara anand al worksks ithe shop. poorna g gurung stops s by at t once a week. hehe's plaing g to eand hihis business. poororna: lokta and d himalaya nett couould be procesessein the same facility. soso i'm tnkining ofxpandiding and processi n nettl to make fabric. reporter: poorna gunung has g plans s for the futurere, bute dodoesn't want t to move to thty full time.e. the mountains are his home. host: hydropower is the most common source of green energy. it makes up 50% of the world's

prododuction, follllowed by wind solar power.r. gegeothermal andnd tidal powerer plantsts make up a a smaller c. the main producers of renewable energy are asia, europe, and north america. meanwhile, africa lags with just 2%. and yet, africa has huge potential when it comes to solar and wind power. the energy revolution has indeed got underway there, as can be seen at lake turkana in kenya. reporter: taran lepolote is out fishing on his wooden raft. lake turkana is full of fish. but today, he only manages to catch one. he will be able to sell it for $0.90 at most. not enough to pay for a meal for his wife and six children. he can only dream of owning a real boat like one of these.

the village where he lives is tranquil, far away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities. but the comforts of modern life are also missing, such as electricity. fresh fish would sell well in the town close by. but the fish would need to be collected and kept cool. that's difficult to do without electricity. and dried fish doesn't fetch as good a price. mpereswa: we only get a delivery of ice once a week, with which we c can cool the fish.. if we had electricity, we could sell more fish, and then we'd have more momoney for the education of our childreren, r for when they get sick. reporter: one might think that this would be the solution, the nearby lake turkana wind power project, built at a cost of 600 million euros by a public-private-sector consortium. the hundreds of turbines have a joint capacity of 310 megawatts. that's a lot of electricity, and

local people hoped to benefit. but in fact, they still rely on fossil fuel-powered generators, often old and unreliable. the village and towns here are not yet connected to the national powower grid. for collinins makanda, it's s y annonoying. collins: it's always the same. i'll be welding something for a few minutes, and then the generator r shuts down. i am fed up with always having to run over to turn it on again. if i had electricity from the grid, i could work faster and more effectively. reporter: the conditions here are excellent for a wind farm. daily temperature fluctuations generate strong, predictable wind streams between the lake, where the temperature is relatively constant, and the desert hinterland, where it fluctuates a lot. the wind farm was built on land

held by local authorities in trust for the area's inhabitants. so it is all the more dismaying that they don't have access to the power generated. taran lepolote says that has to change. taran: we have a right to finally be connected to the electrical grid. all the villages and towns, all the tribes, the samburu, turkana, el molo, and also the white people who live here. we won't allow ourselves to be divided on this issue. we demand electricity for everyone. reporter: the wind farm provides around 15% of kenya's electricity. so what's the problem? rizwzwan: the laws in kenya ad the regulations in kenya for the provisision of electricity. lalake turkana cannot provide power to the communities. lake turkana most t only sell o kenya power and lighting company, which is the offtaker,

and the only licensed and regulated offtaker to be able to take power. reporter: the wind farm is only respononsible for generatingng electricity. its distribution is in the hands of kenya power, in which the government has a controlling stake. we contacted the kenyan ministry of energy. it told us that there are plans to connect the communities around the lake to the grid, but it is nonot clear when. only a few people in this village have solar collectors, and there is just one tv for the whole community. many here are angry and feel the wind farm is to blame. lawrence: if i were a sorcerer, i would curse it, so the whole wind park would stop working. reporter: but that wouldn't help taran lepolote or his fellow villagers, either. they'll just have to wait for the day when electricity reaches their community. host: that's all from us this

timeme. but we love hearining fromou, so drop us a line, glal3000@dw.com. and check us out on facebook, dw women. bye for now. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

01/03/20 01/03/20 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! towe are strongly committed the progress and greatness of our country. if anyone threatens that, we will confront it and strike it. amy: iran vows revenge after the united states assassinates the iranian commander major general qassim suleimani in a major escalation of the conflict between iran and the united states, which now threatens to engulf iraq and the middle east.