host: news of war, death, refugees, floods, forest fires, a climate emergency, the coronavirus pandemic -- the onslaught never seems to end. how can we cope with it all? what gives us a boost amid one crisis after another? people from very different walks of life give us their answers. welcome to “global 3000.” ♪ reporter:

the welcome center for refugees at berlin's central train station. since russia's invasion of ukraine, sophie rothe has been organizing volunteers here. for ten years, she's volunteered for germany's war graves commission. the work here is tough, but her drive to help is stronger. sophie: sometimes it can weigh on you. sometimes you do take some of their stories home with you and theytay with you for a while. mostly i'm able to let go, but not always. reporter: there are counsellors on hand for those providing help. katharina schridde is one. her task is to listen. this assists those helping here to process what they're being confronted with. this is essential to prevent staff from being traumatized themselves. katharina: i often hear feelings of powerlessness. “i want to take them all home with me.” “she's like my sister.” or “that child looked

like my nephew.” you can tell that links are forming that make people particularly vulnerable. reporter: over the course of a lifetime, everyone's confronted by crisis. in families, at work, during illness or the recently emerged coronavirus pandemic, or wars breaking out. all emergencies in every sense of the word. meryam schouler-ocak is the lead physician at the charité's university psychiatric clinic in berlin's st. hedwig hospital. a lot of her patients struggle to cope with extreme circumstances. they tend to have poor mental health and have little resilience. meryam: resilience strengthens us, makes us more robust. it ensures that we get through even difficult situations without serious harm or only minor damage. and perhaps to use them to grow

as ways to build and strengthen resilience. reporter: a topic meryam schouler-ocak has researched globally. she's found differences between countries where populations have historically trained for certain crises. in turn, they're more resilient. meryam: take israel, for instance. it's a country that has seen a great deal of violence, and still does, in many forms of attacks. they have safety drills or, say, catastrophe exercises. they're well trained, they know precisely what to do. so when another attack takes place, they'll go, “i have to do that, and that, and that.” everyone knows what to do. it's taught in schools. it's a systematic program that, i think, enables the population to protect and support themselves as much as possible. reporter: a state promoting resilience is

one thing. but the foundations of mental health are already being laid in childhood. the atrium is a community arts school for young people in the north of berlin. half of the families here rely on government benefits. the atrium quickly won a special place in the hearts of the kids who come here. school director claudia güttner knows why. claudia: because we work with good materials and take it seriously, the kids appreciate it a great deal. they're always saying, “oh it's amazing that i can use such fantastic paper.” there's an awareness that something special's on offer here. it's recognition. reporter: in the afternoons, the atrium attracts lots of children from the neighborhood. they build important connections outside of their immediate families, and have new experiences. claudia: the best moments are when you notice the kids holding their heads higher, and are proud to show off their work. we put on regular exhibitions and shows from the theater

classes. they're simply growing up. and suddenly they're on stage and have some form of a presence. and i think their characters grow stronger through this. reporter: to a certain extent, a person's resilience is shaped by their family and environment they grow up in. childhood experiences are formative. they can be a source of strength that's then drawn upon later in life. resilience in times of crisis. meryam: people should do things for themselves, meaning good things for themselves, and their families. making plans and looking towards to the future with optimism but staying active in the present. doing sport, eating well. fresh air. the sun is wonderful. reporter: volunteer sophie rothe hails

from a supportive family that strengthened her. as did the rowing club she joined when she was little. she's developed her resilience which she puts to good use at work. sophie: to unwind from work, i simply take off my vest. it's my mechanism when i take the vest off, then i'm off duty, and i try to put it all behind me. sometimes it works quite well, sometimes it doesn't. reporter: talking with family, friends and mental health professionals helps. but crises remain a part of life, for everyone. ♪ host: helping others can boost our confidence and bring pleasure. but studies show the most important factors in being happy are friends, family, a job with sufficient income, and a safe place to live. the 2022 world happiness report once again confirms that trend. all the countries ranking near the top are wealthy and largely free from conflict.

but for years, one country has topped the standings -- finland. so what it is that makes the finns so happy? ♪ reporter: sultry rhythms. snow-covered hills. most people in finland appear very happy with their lives up in the far north. in fact, they're said to be the happiest people on earth. >> finns are happy because of the beautiful landscape that we have and the four seasons. >> sea and sauna, exactly what comes to mind when you think of finland. salla: i love sitting by a fire, a campfire, and gazing into the flames. reporter: delicious food helps, too, of course. enjoyed ideally by the water. salla honkavuori and her family come here once a week.

tonight they're eating salmon with flame-grilled vegetables. lake akanjärvi is close to the lapland border, in the far north of finland, the family's favorite part of the country. salla: we have a lot of resilience, that's something characteristic of finns, but also a deep respect for nature. these hills are the landscape of my soul. when i see this vast expanse, i feel small and insignificant. and then suddenly all my problems are insignificant too. reporter: that's why salla honkavuori and her family are hoping to find a new home here in lapland. a content manager, she comes from finland's south. but she and her husband are hoping to soon move to lapland. they want the children ani and miklas to grow up in the countryside, far away from the city, and spend as much time in the great outdoors as possible.

so, they drive from one village to another, looking for the perfect place to live, with as few people as possible. the capital helsinki is not for them. it's far too busy and urbanized even though it's one of europe's greenest capitals and rated as one of the best places to live. that's largely down to the finnish state, which ranks as the biggest source of finnish happiness, alongside nature. frank: it's our institutions, not some secret national characteristics. we have functioning democratic institutions. we have freedom of the press, freedom of expression, free elections and very little corruption. on top of that you have the feel-good package of the welfare state with child benefits, unemployment

benefits, pensions. all of that gives people a sense that the state is caring for them. reporter: but could the state defend its citizens from outside attack if necessary? that's something the honkavuori family has been asking too. finland shares a border with russia that's more than a thousand kilometers long. it's an unpredictable neighbor that's currently at loggerheads with half the world. salla: obviously the current situation does make me stop and think. but i try not to think about it too much. if i lost my basic sense of safety and security, i wouldn't be happy anymore. reporter: the yellow and blue flags in solidarity with ukraine show russia's war has not been forgotten in helsinki either. in fact, for weeks now, debate has resurfaced over whether finland should join nato. until recently there weren't many in favor of such a move.

now, surveys show a clear majority want to see finland join the military alliance. mika: finns have woken up and and feel solidarity with the ukrainians. they don't want to see the horror of the war that they're watching unfold on their tv screens come to their own country. so if there's a way they can avoid that, they're happy to seize the opportunity. reporter: at a tango school in the center of the city, the mood is relaxed. incidentally, finland is the second-most popular place for tango after argentina. another expression of finnish happiness. clara: we finns don't talk much and don't really express our feelings. but tango is just the right dance for a finnish man to express his emotions.

and they don't even have to talk, the lyrics are all about love and passion, so they say it all. pekka: with the right partner and the right music, i just float, and forget everything else around me. hanni: massage and dancing -- those are the two exceptions in finnish culture that allow close physical contact outside of the family circle. reporter: for the honkavuori family, it's time to get moving too. through snowboarding, the children have come to share their mother's love of lapland. finland has 75 ski resorts that are open for almost six months of the year, from october to may. then there's the saunas that are popular all year round. aside from winter sports, it's the number one leisure activity

in finland. salla: going to the sauna plays a huge role in our lives, we go often, including on special occasions like christmas or midsummer. we go morning, noon and night. being in the sauna also has a cleansing effect for body and mind. reporter: could life be happy without a sauna? salla: no! it's part of being happy. the sauna is super important for us. reporter: and so is freedom. salla honkavuori says feeling free is key to being happy. one day she wants to do a tour of europe with the children. and then return home to her favorite lake in lapland. ♪ host: in a wealthy country, it's certainly easier to be happy. but what about the many people who live in impoverished conditions? more than three billion people live on less than $5.50 a day. and seven hundred million on less than $2 a day.

but when people come together, they can work wonders, even with very little. ♪ reporter: manguinhos is one of the most dangerous favelas in rio de jairo, and equiel dias's home. but he counts himself fortunate he doesn't have to go far to get to work. and he loves his job managing an urban farm in the district. ezequiel: morning, everyone! today i'd like to ask the women to do some weeding in these vegetable beds here. we men will go to the beds in the back and spread some soil where we'll be planting okra. so are we all set? great, let's go. reporter: almost ten years ago, rio's municipal government decided to transform this patch of land into a community garden. it's part of the city's hortas cariocas urban agriculture

program. diaz never imagined he would become an urban gardener. ezequiel: in 2013, i was out of work and had nothing to keep me busy. i had no goals in life. the vegetable garden appeared at exactly the right moment and changed my life. it changed me. today i'm a farmer, something i would never have expected. today i know what i am -- an urban farmer. reporter: the garden is a patch of lush green in this poor district. many people here are out of work, and gang violence is rife. the garden was planted on land where residents used to dump trash and addicts smoked crack. today it covers an area bigger than three soccer fields, making it the largest community garden in latin america. ezequiel dias and his crew grow all sorts of vegetables, all

without chemical fertilizers. but it's not always easy. ezequiel: clashes between the police and drug gangs sometimes stop me working. whatever i plant today needs watering tomorrow. but when there's gunfire in the area, i can't be here. reporter: the community garden also provides work for people in the favela. some used to be members of a drug gang that largely controls this district. leonardo: i was pretty messed up, i'd gone down the wrong path in life. but today i can go out with my head held high. i can go out with my family without being afraid of the street, of being looked at the wrong way. reporter: some of the crew are pensioners with little money, some are mothers with a large family to support. around 25 gardeners are employed here in all.

the city pays them a small salary. the income is a welcome source of stability and so is the sense of community they find here. sani: i had just lost a son and was suffering from depression when ezequiel asked if i'd like to work here. it helped pull me out of my depression, like therapy. i couldn't live without this garden now. it's really helped me. and when i need some food, i just take it. my friends here are my second family. reporter: whatever's harvested stays in the community. in rio's low-income districts, fresh organic produce is something special. half of the harvest is sold in the neighborhood at a reduced rate. that's one of the guidelines of the hortas cariocas program. ezequiel: look at our vegetables, three for the price of two. cheaper than any supermarket.

reporter: demand is high, especially now that brazil is struggling with rising food prices. any profits from the sales are divvied up among the urban gardeners. they donate the other half of the produce to people in need in the favela. that's another guiding principle behind the project. ezequiel: here, some spinach for you. reporter: the pandemic and rampant inflation mean that more people in the favela are going hungry. ezequiel: life has grown harder here. it's hard to put food on the table. many people just have rice and beans. now they can have rice and beans with a salad made with the vegetables they received from us as a donation. sometimes they'll buy our produce for a low price, which also gives them a bit of color on the table. and that makes me really happy. reporter: ezequiel dias's family also

benefits from his work in the garden. they have something fresh and healthy on the table every day. dias may not earn much, but he's been able to build a house in the favela. it's his pride and joy. and he's also bought a used car. but for him, the urban garden is more than an income -- it's his life's work. even at the end of the day, every free minute goes to the garden. ezequiel: this is the corner where i grow my seedlings. this is my life, growing vegetables. it's what makes me happy. i have a green thumb. squeeze it and green blood comes out. farming is everything to me, really. it's a wonderful job, truly satisfying. it's given my life purpose, it's a purposeful way to live. this here is everything to me, it brings my heart peace and happiness.

reporter: the urban farm has helped change the face of manguinhos. ezequiel dias hopes it can serve as a model for other communities in rio and beyond. ♪ host: the earth is home to 2.35 billion children and young people. they make up nearly a third of the global population. the kind of start they get in life varies greatly. around 260 million children don't go to school. and millns even live on the street. but given the right opportunities, everything can change. reporter: it looks effortless. but the tricks that jacobus claassen and his colleagues are doing take a lot of practice. ♪ and usually it doesn't work right away.

♪ jacobus: once the club hits you or once you get injured, it's a little bit difficult to go back to it because the first thing that is going to be in your mind is that fall is going to happen again or that club is going to hit me again. normally if i fall, i just stand up and say yes, let's go again, one more time and always, the second time, we nail it. reporter: his attitude has brought the 29-year-old a long way. he's one of the zip zap circus's top performers. it is also a training center. the academy in cape town's woodstock district offers free training to young people who want to go on stage. it is funded in part by donations and performances. brent van rensburg founded zip zap in 1995. together with his wife laurence

, both former circus artists. brent: we believe that any kid, no matter what the background, if they are given the opportunity and they are passionate about what they do, any child can make it. and a lot of kids who have talent and skills are often left behind. and zip zap, you know, we kind of provide the platform to give children who might not have as much as others the platform to do something with their life. reporter: jacobus claassen, whom everyone here calls trompi, was one of those kids. he and stage partner jason barnard have been teaching and performing at zip zap since graduating there. the most important things they want to convey to their students are passion, discipline and teamwork. zip zap brings people from all kinds of backgrounds together. after the lesson, jacobus claassen and jason barnard have to practice, practice, practice. the demanding juggling number

is part of the current stage program. ♪ after a break due to the pandemic, the troupe can finally perform in front of a live audience again. ♪ fospecial bond between thelive paudience and the artists. jacobus: every time when i am on stage, i make people feel how i feel. i just express how i feel at that moment. if i feel lots of love, i make people feel the love. and that's why audiences, they always seem to scream, or they would stand up and have a lot of energy after a performance. reporter: an overdose of euphoria and endorphins. [applause] jacobus claassen has already been able to share this experience with fans all over the world.

the zip zap circus has already taken him from the small south african town of paarl to numerous countries. he's performed in front of tennis stars roger federer and andy murray and even at the white house during barack obama's term. jacobus claassen has come a long way. but to get this far, he's had to overcome many obstacles. ♪ before he came to zip zap through a youth outreach program in 2011, jacobus classen lived on the streets and in this home for young men. from the streets to the stages of the world. how did he do it? jacobus: i wanted more. for myself. i didn't think of going back to drugs or gangsterism and all of that. that didn't come close to my

head. and zip zap gave me a taste, they gave me a bite of the apple and i told myself i want more of this apple and today i got so much more of that apple. reporter: jacobus claassen's day is not over yet. next stop, the zip zap dome in downtown cape town, a venue for performances and for afternoon training sessions. he coaches young zappers here several timea week. ♪ jacobus claassen made it with a clear goal in mind. but he knows you can't do it on your own. jacobus: the most important thing is open yourself to other people. reporter: openness and mutual support, a message that seems to be more important today than ever before.

♪ host: that's it for “global 3000” this week. email your comments to global3000@dw.com, or visit us on facebook -- dw global ideas. we'd love to hear from you. see you next time. [captioning performed by the

berlin. ukraine admits heavy losses as russia presses on its assault in the east. also on the program, preparing to defend their homes. people ukraine's biggest port, odessa, are taking up arms to fight russian invaders. and an urgent warning from marine scientists. we musch