opportunity. and habitat alarm -- how mayan villagers in mexico are trying to save what's left of their forest. until a few years ago, the textile industry in africa was pretty stable. or at least until the liberalization of the market opened the door for cheaper competition from asia. hundreds of thousands of jobs were lost, mostly in south africa, nigeria, kenya -- and in ghana. there, nine out of 10 textile workers lost their jobs, leaving only 3,000 today. product piracy is adding to the woes of ghana's fabric producers. they are proud of their unique designs and traditional techniques. but just as for the big fashion brands like adidas or chanel, while consumers like their style, they increasingly shy away from the cost. reporter: makola market in the ghanaian capital accra is a paradise if you love color. there are gaudy fabrics with new patterns, but traditional wax prints with age-old designs are the most popular. here cloth is bought the way ready-made clothes are in europe. customer: when i am going for a special occasion or some occasions that i need to wear something with a name, i come to buy the ones with names. and then something that is stylish. normally when i am buying the clothes, i look at the quality. reporter: for authentic domestic fabrics, tradition-conscious ghanaian women have to pay about 15 euros for just under three metres. that's enough for a dress. then there's the cost of a seamstress -- unaffordable for many people. for several years there's been a cheap but illegal alternative -- pirated copies from china at 1/3 of the price. this vendor says no one at the market has any cheap fabrics right now, because they were all seized in a raid. the shops that sell the original fabrics have been making losses for years. the owner tells us that the moment she has a new design, someone comes and buys a few meters -- and in three weeks, there are copies on the market. we're outside the capital in the small town of akosombo. here, the a.t.l. company produces traditional african textiles. john amoah is employed to protect the brand. with a co-worker, he's examining the latest forgeries from china. a special squad made up of police, trade ministry officials, and textile companies have been trying for months to take action against the network of product pirates from ghana and china. john amoah tells us about the raid on the market. the cheap goods made in china not only copy the original patterns from ghana, but also the company logos. but how do you recognize the genuine article? john amoah, akosombo textiles: if you take this one, this is the design. if you look at this side and this side, the bubbles are not the same. you cannot determine where it falls. if you look at this one, this, this, this, this are the same. this, this, this are the same. reporter: a.t.l. manufactures everything from the traditional cotton cloth to the finished wax prints. everything is made in ghana. the huge drums are the heart of the complex art of producing the textiles. the dyed fabrics, which have been coated with wax or resin, are spun around to break up the resin layer. this produces a distinctive, unique pattern. steve dutton has been head of marketing at a.t.l. for 15 years. he's increasingly concerned about the situation facing the textile industry. steve dutton, head of marketing, a.t.l.: 99% of the goods coming from the far east are not entering legally into ghana and into the countries in west africa. most of them are smuggled. we are unfortunate enough to be next door to togo, and lome, which is a free port. those goods can be bought or brought to ghana, smuggled across the land border, which is very huge. reporter: the layers of dye are carefully applied one after the other in several steps -- an expensive procedure. the knock-off fabrics don't come close in quality. back to makola market. for many years, ghana has been flooded with cast-offs from europe. ghana is one of the african countries with the highest percentages of second-hand clothing, although there's a richly colorful domestic alternative. it puts even more pressure on the textile industry. customer: second-hand clothes are cheaper. buying fabric and having dresses made is really expensive and can take forever. so we buy second hand. reporter: but the real problem for ghana is the cheap competition from china, usually smuggled into the country by middlemen. a.t.l.'s spinning mill works only three days a week. 500 workers have already been laid off. now just 1000 people work here, some of them only part-time. at a waste dump on accra's city limits. this pile of cloth consists of counterfeit smuggled fabric. the special unit wants to make an example of it. tirelessly, john amoah answers journalists' questions. john amoah: try to get your own designs. try to get your own brand. and then you compete. you pay your taxes at the border. you bring your product onto the market. then we all have a fair competition ground to compete. reporter: protecting the "made in ghana" trademark could put an end to the piracy. the government is proud of the genuine traditional products. the deputy trade minister is a major proponent. murtala mohammed, deputy minister of trade: women look beautiful in the african print, and i don't buy my wife anything except african prints. i believe one's way would be to patronize the goods that are produced in ghana. they expand, there would be new economies of scale. i believe that they can also reduce price because cost of production would have reduced, quality would improve, and that is the focus of the ministry. reporter: a while ago, the government proclaimed a weekly "national friday wear" day. everyone is called on to wear traditional garb on friday -- office workers, school kids, and ordinary citizens -- so that the traditional ghanaian textile industry can keep its head above water. for now, at least. anchor: tackling corruption is usually a long struggle. and it's rarely as spectacular as the case of fifa, where football executives were led away by police in front of news cameras. nobody wants bureaucracy. but without reliable and transparent administration, governments are lost. taxpayers tend to hang on to their money when they fear it will end up in someone else's pocket. we meet a group of african tax experts who are studying on a scholarship here in germany. they are determined to become "agents of change" by building better administrations back home. reporter: for these two, berlin is a big adventure. frank kalinzinje is a tax official back home in malawi. londiwe khoza works in the south african finance ministry. today they're tourists. but actually, they're here in the german capital to study, chosen by a panel of judges. frank kalinzinje, tax official from malawi: it's a dream come true. and for my specialty, for me, it's the first time to get out of our country. and of all places, coming to berlin in germany. it was one of the best things that has ever happened to me in my life. reporter: they're in berlin for a year and a half on a postgraduate course in tax law. it's been something of a culture shock. londiwe khoza, financial analyst from south africa: i think, today, is a bit of, like, a coldness. maybe i just don't have the right word for it. 'cause, like in africa, we're just jolly. we're loud, we're warm, you know. and here it's keeping to yourself. and sometimes it's not that easy, i think, especially with the older generation. reporter: the next morning at the berlin school of economics and law, 27 africans from 13 countries are in the program. it's subsidized by the german government. back home, the students work for tax and fiscal authorities. their professor says this master's degree course should prepare them to deal with international tax law. beate jochimsen, economist: for instance, taxation of cross-border transactions. many of them have never had anything to do with international taxation. they're hearing about it for the first time. and some who deal with corporate taxation don't know about income tax. so it's important for them to work in groups or case studies to find out how it is in other african countries. reporter: how do you tax an employee who lives in one country and works in another ? many of the students think taxes need to lose their bad reputation. londiwe khoza says that in many countries, they're often equated with corruption. londiwe khoza: corruption is a big issue everywhere, not just in south africa. i think that we need to make people understand what's happening with their tax money. i think from a government perspective, we need to start educating people in terms of how we're spending the money and where the money actually goes to, just to ensure that people who actually receive the money are actually spending it for the right cause. frank kalinzinje: most of the people back home have a negative perception of taxation, and therefore in the end we have a lot of complaints. they simply think taxes are just a form of government stealing from people. they do not appreciate the fact that taxes are for them. reporter: when they're not studying, their thoughts are often with their families and friends at home. keeping in touch is sometimes difficult because the internet doesn't always work. londiwe khoza: no, it's not coming up. it's very frurating bause we ju want toalk and are expeences with everyone at home, find out how everyone is doing at home, so it's sometimes a bit tough. reporter: on the one hand, there's homesickness. on the other, the ambition to successfully finish their studies in germany. frank kalinzinje says his family is proud he's able to take this cour. although he adds that their expectations are now quite high. frank kalinzinje: it would not make sense for me if after this course i'd stay behind. to me, my conscience really pulls me back. so i would love as much as possible to go back home and to contribute something. reporter: they've already finished some of their exams. now they plan to enjoy their summer in berlin. anchor: indonesia has some 17,000 islands and around 250,000,000 people. more than half of them are under 30. many live in poverty. because she was concerned about the kids who were turning to drugs, veronica colondam set up an organization to help them. 16 years later, ycab has become one of the largest n.g.o.'s in the world, running projects in several other countries including pakistan, afghanistan, and uganda. we caught up with her in indonesia. reporter: a train comes by every few minutes. these people are living illegally in petamburan, not far from the center of the indonesian capital jakarta. working with their hands, this family has to produce 1000 pieces a day to make ends meet. they earn about 7 euros. more than half of all indonesians live below the poverty line, earning less than 2 euros a day. veronica colondam is trying to change that by helping women to earn a livelihood. with her organization, the ycab foundation, she provides micro loans. today she's meeting with women in petamburan who have founded micro companies with the loans. many cook and sell homemade food at mobile stalls. ibu sulami tells how she was able to buy a rice cooker with her $150 loan. now, at 54, she's even earning enough to invite friends over from time to time. veronica colondam: they're all micro entrepreneurs. but they're not micro entrepreneurs by choice. they have to do it to sustain their livelihood, right? so we give them a little bit of capital so that they can scale their business and make or double their income. it is important to have this extra income. reporter: more than 100,000 micro loans have already been given to women. in the long term, they're a way to escape poverty to more prosperity. but only if their children get a better education. the social entrepreneur is convinced of that. that's why ycab also runs schools and learning centers. the fees are extremely low -- less than a euro a month. though for some, that's already a lot. hervina: i have to work to help my grandmother who's ill and pay my school fees. i also really wanted a cellphone. i worked hard, and i've finally got one. reporter: at 15, she's now the proud owner of a mobile phone and is determined to keep going to school. for the older pupils, learning combines practice and theory. that was important to veronica from the very start. these young men will be able to work in the i.t. sector. 78% of the pupils later find jobs. ycab's funding is complex. in indonesia, social enterprises are treated like profit-oriented ones. veronica colondam and her team have to find donors and supporters to share the funding for the learning centers. organizing the growing foundation is now veronica's main task. but the mother of three enjoys being with the trainees. veronica colondam: it's important to stay in touch. i mean, it does more for me, actually, for myself, because connecting to the people gives you energy. reporter: the pupils come from poor families. they have dreams. like dani, who dropped out of school but is now studying hard. dani pramana: my dream is singing. >> [singing] reporter: but first, he's studying to be a car mechanic. he's passed his first exams with distinction. the indonesian economy needs educated young people like these. the government invests too little despite economic growth. veronica colondam: the growth is good, right? that's the macro. but what happens to the people at the bottom of the pyramid? the gini coefficient that shows the gap between the rich and the poor actually has declined over time. we are not getting better in that sense. that's why we need to move up. move the people from the bottom of the pyramid, give them hope and opportunity through education. that's what we believe. reporter: veronica colondam's work is giving people new opportunities, even in petamburan. and it's giving them hope of escaping to something better. anchor: you would think that one thing the descendants of the mayas in mexico don't need is lessons on how to use the rainforest sustainably. but after the environment around them was increasingly destroyed, the residents of villages like hu-echen balam in yucatan were desperate to make a living. in the end, they had to make tough choices. and now, they've chosen to accept help in managing what is left in a sustainable way. gabriel ek cuo: when i'm here in the forest, i feel very contented. i feel happy because i'm breathing the fresh air and can listen to the birds singing. it's a magical place. i know it has a good spirit that protects it. i know it created for us, so that we can nurture it and live from it. reporter: for gabriel ek and the other residents of his village, the forest is both their home and their livelihood. melionine bees, native to yucatán, live here. the honey the stingless bees produce is especially sweet. in maya village communities, beekeeping has a long tradition. gabriel ek learned the craft from his father. t this honey is sold all over mexico and even exported to europe. gabriel ek cohuo: we can earn a lot in a season when the yield is good, even though we have to invest and buy all the equipment. but it's worth it because it's better than what we'd earn farming the fields. reporter: the village of huechen balam lies in the middle of the tropical forest on mexico's yucatán peninsula. its 150 or so residents live simply. there aren't many opportunities to earn money. finding a way to live off the land without harming the forest has proven a challenge. for six months, the international union for conservation of nature has been working with the villagers. together, they want to find ways they can earn money without destroying more of the forest. luciana ludlow paz, iucn: there's already less biodiversity than before. we have fewer species, both of flora and fauna. the decrease is widespread and significant. the villagers use some species for food or for building their houses. reporter: the environmentalists ask the men and women in the village how they use the forest and what they plant in their fields. it's hoped the data will help to promote additional ways of earning a living that protect the forest. every year, thousands of hectares of forest in yucatán go up in flames to create space for agriculture. often,he farmers don't even use the fields themselves. instead they lease them to wealthy investors from all over the country who are on the lookout for new and larger areas to intensively farm such crops as melons intensively. it's a good deal because the yield is plentiful thanks to the climate. local environmental protection organizations are worried that intensive farming will spread further. gerardo garcía contreras: in mexico's current situation, there aren't many other sources of income so they rely on profits of this kind. viewed ecologically, this kind of cultivation isn't viable because monocultures deplete the soil and pesticides pollute the water. but it's a source of employment. reporter: what can be done to counteract that? one possibility is to make farming more diversified again. when farmers cultivate the fields themselves, they plant crops like pumpkins, beans, maize, and cucumbers. froilán tamayo alcocer, farmer: if a buyer from elsewhere comes to me, it's better if i have a large selection of produce on offer. so it's important for me to plant a wide variety of vegetables. reporter: we return to the villagers of huechen balam. producing charcoal is another important source of income for them. only a few village communities have official permits for that. they got theirs three years ago. gabriel ek cohuo: we look for crooked and broken trees to make charcoal. we use only the ones we can't use for anything else, which keep the other healthy trees from growing tall and straight. reporter: in that way, charcoal-making can be sustainable for the forest as well. the women in huechen balam have discovered a very different source of income. they've founded a handicrafts collective. villager: if one of us sells a blouse for 300 pesos, that's really something! in the past, we had nothing and were dependent on our husbands. reporter: every woman pays part of her proceeds into a communal fund. and they can pay for new material. it seems new prospects are opening up for the people in the villages of yucatán. anchor: for plenty more information on the yucatan peninsula, go to our website. you can also watch any of our reports. and join our global debate. well be back a week from now. do join us if you can. until then, thanks for watching and bye bye. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] úúúoçoçúú!!!!!ñ >> there is a mass extinction occurring on the planet today. >> we may well lose half of the world's biological diversity. >> the most dire numbers, i think, are on the timescale of about 35 years. >> do we know enough about what's going on to be scared by it? my answer as a scientist --hell yes! >> do not ink we iany way shoulfeel complacent that we are not on the list of possible extinctions.

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