Theres very little room for the more than seven million residents. But there are plenty of buyers for luxury apartments a profitable business for real estate companies. Buying an apartment is barely affordable even for the middle class its long been the norm for them to spend half their income on rent or a mortgage. For many, hong kong is a housing nightmare. Because of her efforts to help, today shes visiting the home of 13yearold chak ming. Owners here have subdivided many of the apartments into minilodgings, known as shoeboxes. With just a parttime job and welfare, all this mother and child can afford are about twoandahalf square meters, with a bunk bed and a small table. The mother cries a lot, and wishes she could provide Something Better for her son. Our apartment should really be big enough so that my son and i can move around freely. Here, its so small that we can only enter the room one at a time. Reporter chak ming wont tell his classmates how he lives hes too ashamed. Most people here work, but they do not earn enough for an apartment of their own. So, several people are forced to share a grubby kitchen and a single bathroom. Their only hope is a statesubsidized apartment. But the waiting list is several years long. Lai shan gives advice, helps people deal with bureaucracy, and puts pressure on officials where she can. Lai people who live in these kinds of spaces, they feel very frustrated, feel hopeless and helpless. When its hot here in the summer, its very hot, and some people cannot fall asleep. Then besides that, there are too many people, and hygiene is not good. Reporter about 30 of hong kongs residents live in subsidized housing. But theres not nearly enough to go around. The hunt for an affordable living space even drives people to live in corrugatediron huts on the roofs of factories with little in the way of safety features. Its illegal and its dangerous. But where else are people supposed to go . Children are especially vulnerable. Lai shan herself grew up in poverty and knows how they feel. Many dont even have enough space at home to do their homework. The Aid Organization has other volunteers who help them, too. And here they are taught not to be ashamed of being poor. Lai their selfimage is low because they feel theyre inferior to others. Or sometimes at the beginning, theyre not feeling bad, but because the other people look down on them. For example, we have some children, their classmates know they are living in this kind of small space, and then they tease them. Reporter lai shan is calling for more subsidized housing from the local government. She says too much land goes to the powerful real estate companies. She has already helped thousands of residents to move from their shoebox dwellings to subsidized housing. Sometimes it took years, such as with ms. Tai. The apartments here are bigger, the rents cheaper. For residents, it means a complete lifestyle change, fewer worries, and more money left over. Its a neverending job, but a rewarding one. Lai i feel happy because when i help people, theyre in a difficult situation, actually i feel very sorry for that. And so i work hard, and then they finally improve their situation. That makes me really happy. I dont know, because i think that helping people is a kind of happiness. Reporter those living in caged beds generally pay even more rent for their space than people who live in subsidized flats. If it werent for lai shans help, mr. Leung and the other men here might not even have warm clothing for the cooler winter nights. Sometimes, when the people of hong kong come home from work, mr. Leung goes to the soccer pitch. He used to work in a slaughterhouse and lived in employee housing. Now hes 70 and in poor health. Hes given up hope of ever getting a subsidized apartment, as there are almost 300,000 other people in hong kong who are also on the waiting list. Host now from hong kong, to turkey. Two years ago, more than 1000 of the countrys academics signed a petition criticizing president recep Tayyip Erdogans policies and appealing for an end to his bloody campaign against the kurds a small act with major repercussions. Many of them were later fired by president ial decree. The accusation spreading terrorist propaganda. After the attempted military coup, around 150,000 Civil Servants in turkey lost their jobs often for unexplained reasons. Theyve hit the streets in protest at being blackballed made captives in their country. Reporter ulas bayraktar has been working behind the counter for only a few months. Last spring, the Political Science lecturer was fired. And, like so many other Civil Servants, he was banned from his profession, as well as forbidden to leave the country. After that, he had to ask himself, what should i do now . Ulas we just wanted to do something here in mersin, to say that we dont leave. We will find new ways to do what we had been doing in the university. That means, what have we been doing with students, with science, with books, and with the city in general. Reporter in 2016, bayraktar signed a petition called academics for peace that criticized how the turkish government handled human rights issues in a kurdish part of the country. He was fired for that, and barred from Government Service by a state emergency decree. He will also receive neither unemployment compensation, nor a pension. Bayraktar opened a cafe, together with other colleagues they offer workshops and readings. They want to provide a space to share knowledge, where people can learn and discuss things and ask critical questions. This was his dream. Ulas these are the seeds and grains of hope. Maybe that will be a forest, maybe that will be a desert. The support and the people, and maybe you see a lot of messages over internet or personal messages saying that you gave us support and you gave us hope. Reporter he calls the cafe an island of hope. Working here gives him strength and distracts him from private concerns. His wife works at a university in germany. He hasnt seen her in eight months. He is not allowed to leave the country, and if she were to return to turkey, she would face the same situation. Ulas i send her emails daily, like a diary. When she comes back, i want her to know every detail of this place, every detail of our life after her departure. You saw her birds . Even from germany, she contributes. I think thats the most terrible dimension of all this process. Reporter in the capital, ankara, husband and wife cem and muslume cinar also saw their professional world collapse before their eyes. They were Elementary School teachers before being fired about a year ago. Now they are trying to make ends meet by running a small food stand. The number 686 is on the front counter. This is the number of the law that was quoted as they lost their jobs. They are trying to keep a sense of humor. Cem we had to sell our car to open this shop. We have two children and somehow we have to make ends meet. Reporter today they have a visitor kemal inal. Inal used to teach communications. Hes writing a book about those who were fired. And yes, he too was dismissed for the same reasons. He wants to tell the stories of some of the 40,000 teachers and professors who lost their jobs. Kemal many people who were victims of this decree are now networking. We have the same worries and we are beginning to feel some solidarity a kind of resistance movement. Its not just about coming into this shop to eat. Its more important than that. Its about the exchange of political and personal ideas. Reporter but kemal has almost no contact with former colleagues at the university where he taught. The school was rightwing conservative, and he was one of the few liberal leftist teachers there. Now, he spends his days in his home office, working on his book. He also has financial worries. He has loans to repay, but now no income. He gets small Monthly Payments from his labor union, but its not enough to make ends meet. He and his wife have begun selling homemade leather bags. Kemal we have started eating soup, instead of proper meals. And i rarely go out, so i can save money. I have sent out a lot of job applications, but no one is interested in employing someone who was let go due to a government decree. Of course, anyone can become unemployed. But for us, its important to come up with a survival strategy. Reporter but its not just about survival these people want their lives back. Thats what most of the fired professors and journalists are demanding at this demonstration in istanbul. Ulas bayraktar is determined to remain positive. He came all the way from mersin to be here in istanbul today. Ulas its not easy. Its not easy to insist on optimism. Sometimes you need to be you need to see that youre not the only maniac. Youre not the only fool of the town. There are other fools, if this is stupidness. So, you just start to rebelieve in yourself. You just refresh your insistence and your struggle. Reporter ulas bayraktar is going to need his strength and positivity. All of the academics who signed the peace petition have been legally charged. The first Court Proceedings began in december. But the professor says hes not afraid after all, hes an eternal optimist. Host this week in our global ideas series, we take a look at a billiondollar industry cut flowers. Most of the worlds supply comes from largescale flower farms in just a handful of countries. Its a business worth around 44 billion euros a year. The Global Center of the cut flower trade is still the netherlands. But production is on the rise in four countries in the tropics one of them, kenya. Our reporter manuel ozcerkes headed to Lake Naivasha near nairobi, where dozens of flower farms have sprung up. But for other people who rely on the lake for a living, the future looks far from rosy. Reporter these local fishermen have finally managed to land a catch again. After hours out on the water, every boat has at least returned with a few kilos of tilapia. But talk is making the rounds again that pollutants have been found in Lake Naivasha. It takes Samson Macharia back to the environmental disaster that struck in 2009. The lake almost dried out and the fish population was decimated all caused by the flower farms on the shore. Samson they almost dried out the lake completely, and the chemicals they were draining off affected the water. There were hardly any fish left. That pile of fish over there, that was the harvest of 10 boats. It took the department of fisheries one year to regenerate the fish stocks. So people went hungry. Reporter conditions by Lake Naivasha are ideal for cultivating flowers. Over 50 companies have set up greenhouses on its shores. The soil is fertile, temperatures mild, theres 12 hours sunshine a day, and the lakes full of water. Since the 2009 disaster, local fisherfolk are highly suspicious of the cut flower industry even though strict regulations for companies were introduced in the aftermath. Edward they are spraying the chemicals, and once they spray those chemicals, then when the water and the rain comes it also takes the water to the lake. And then once the fish consumes that, it has a side effect to the consumers and also to the breeding areas, because the farms are close to the breeding areas. Reporter the Flower Companies reject the accusations. Normally they wont grant journalists access to their greenhouses. But weve been allowed into this facility, accompanied by ruth moora from germanys organization for International Cooperation the giz. Oserian flower farm claims its own environmental record is exemplary. Hamish if there is pesticides in the lake, maybe it is coming from industries which are not managed by a good code of conduct like the kenyan flower council, and thats where maybe there needs to be more focus on small scale farming to help farmers understand the values of using products in a responsible way, but also the impact of those products, that theyre misused on nature. Reporter oserian says it only uses half the industrystandard amount of insecticides. The company prefers to employ natural allies like these tiny beetles, which are sprinkled over the roses to eat the pests that target them. Ruth moora is always looking for natural methods that other operators could also use. Anton all the water in this gutter that the plant dont use we recycle it and use it again. For many things, it is very good. For the ecosystem, because nothing from the recycled water or drained water goes to the ecosystem. But also it saves us fertilizers, because after recycling there are still fertilizers inside, and then we use it again and again and again. Ruth i think it is very costly to put up this system. For the small holder farmers, who are growing outside, it might be quite difficult for them to have such a system. But for those who have the capacity, it will be a good solution, because it cuts down on their cost, but at the same time it is also good for the environment. Reporter there dont appear to be any toxins leaking into Lake Naivasha. But oserian is only one of many Flower Growers in the area. And we arent allowed into the others. Its also pretty hard to pinpoint just where the pollution is coming from. The flower industry says small hold farmers are to blame. Like potato farmer paul kimani. So what is the solution to the pollution . Farmers are offered advice on Sustainable Practices by an organization headed by kamau mbogo. He also wants to know why the lake is constantly being polluted. Paul the farmers within this area are using fertilizers. And that cannot be avoided because of economical status. They have to improve their harvest every season. Ruth there is a lot of gap between the technology that is available in the big farms and what the small scale farmers are doing. And also the kind of advisory they get. Because even when he has a problem with his potatoes, he just goes to the chemical store and he says, i have this problem. But they dont get to get an advice from the other methods that could be used that are more sustainable. Reporter kamau mbogos organization promotes sustainable pest control. Kamau you use a good pest you can say a friendly pest, to feed on the bad pests that are feeding on your crop. And this is a technology that is used in the cut flower. They have perfected it. Reporter thats nothing new for him. Before any pesticides were available here, the farmers used a species of ant to eradicate crop pests. But its also true that the insecticide they use now is highly efficient even if it is expensive. Back at Lake Naivasha, the days catch is already on its way to market which these days, is several kilometers away. The lakes water level used to reach as far as the market. Now its shrinking along with its fish stocks. Too Many Companies are pumping too much water from the lake. Its almost 30 degrees in the shade, so the fish have to be sold off quickly. Its a good day for the women of the market. Their husbands brought sackloads back with them. Since a small tilapia fetches one euro at the moment, the haul will translate into a tidy profit. For today, at least. Roseline we have this improvement. Because there is no fish dead anymore. Yes, they worked on it. Researchers came, they worked on the fish. But you know, we are just people at this level. We couldnt be given the feedback. But maybe they solved the problem on their own. Reporter for now, these people can only hope the water stays clean. The way it was before the cut flower industry descended on the shores of Lake Naivasha. Host in this weeks global snack, we check out a tasty dish from brazil. Reporter its a sultry 27 degrees celsius in belem, the thriving metropolis at the mouth of the amazon. In the citys famous market, the mercado vero peso, you can find cassava flour, brazil nuts, a rainbow of tropical fruits, and all sorts of other regional specialties. This stall sells one the markets most popular fruits acai berries. The somewhat sour and earthy palm tree fruit is packed with vitamins. Everyone here loves them. Before we had modern appliances, we mashed the berries by hand and pressed them through a sieve. Now with these machines, its much easier to puree the acai. Reporter the mashed acai is traditionally eaten with fried fish. The flood of diners at lunchtime certainly keeps the owner on his toes. The acai is doled out liberally and eaten plain without salt or spices. Its said the Indigenous People here began eating it this way over 400 years ago. The berries have to be washed thoroughly, and then soaked in warm water. Then theyre dropped into these blenders we call them manipulation machines. Then of course, theres the fish. We buy it fresh every morning. I filet them myself. We all have a particular job to do to ensure this famous dish is prepared with the same, consistent high quality. Its hard work. Reporter the restaurant is an institution here at the market. Its the Perfect Blend of flavors. The acai is nice and thick, not thin and watery. Its freshly mashed and really delicious. You cant come to the vero peso market and not stop in here. Were all used to this here. The children learn to eat acai when theyre little. Reporter its part of local cultural heritage. Its been in my family for generations. My mothers been cooking with acai for decades. A kind of acai mania started in other regions a few years ago. Lots of people started eating it with banana, granola, or guarana, like in rio. But we like it pure. Just acai and fish. Delicious. Reporter widely touted as a superfood, the berries are perfect for nutritionconscious eaters. What did you think . Let us know. Send us an email and check out our Facebook Page dw global society. Were back next week. See you then. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] announcer opportunity. Prosperity. Optimism. [female voice over] this program is made possible in part by the town of marion, home of the Wayne Henderson school of appalachian arts, celebrating 21 years as a certified virginia main street community. The historic General Francis Marion Hotel and the speak easy restaurant and lounge, providing accommodations and casual fine dining. In downtown marion, virginia. The bank of marion. Technology powered, service driven. Wbrf 98. 1 fm. Bryant label, a proud supporter of our regions musical heritage. cherokee shuffle by Gerald Anderson good evening and welcome to song of the mountains. Im tim white, your host here at the beautiful Lincoln Theater in marion, virginia. Now kicking things off for us will be the Trinity River band. Originally known as the harris family, Trinity River band, they trace their beginnings to their first public performances together in their home church in may of 2007 in the pine forest of northeast florida. After that humble beginning and without knowing where it might lead, Trinity River band worked hard and prayed harder, striving to improve and pay their dues in a tough industry while staying true to their beliefs and to each other. These were years of learning their craft and making better recordings. With each passing year, slowly meeting people, gaining experience, and developing a devoted locally and then regionally fan base. They put on a great show, and were pleased to have them here on the show tonight. Heres the Trinity River band on song of the mountains. [you cant walk all over me by trinity ran you cant sail over the mountains you cant drive across the sea dream of rolling out of town and i aint never coming back you cant walk all over me if i said go and fetch some coffee im just a rug under his feet well im gonna show that bossman someday you cant walk all over me you cant sail over the mountains you cant drive across the sea dream of rolling out of town and i aint never coming back you cant walk all over me take it, dad
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