>> hello, and welcome to global 3000. i'm michaela kufner with your weekly check on the global issues that make an impact. and here's what we have coming up over the next half hour. more than a parakeet -- how colombia tries to preserve the bird species that can only be found here. volunteering for a better society -- how young professionals in panama inspire change. and training malawi's youth for the future -- where football makes youngsters fit for life.

every time we lose a species to extinction, it marks a total surrender to the damage we have done to our planet. true -- darwinism does factor in something known as a natural extinction rate. but we are losing species by a rate that is at the-very-least 1000 times higher than that. colombia is still home to dozens of indigenous bird species. the non-profit organization "proaves" is working hard to keep it that way. once a population is down to only a few dozen it takes a lot of resources to pull them back from the brink. in the sierra nevada de santa marta, rangers are proving that every effort is worth it.

clicks they're flocking to the hummingbird feeder -- it's like a filling station for birds. every morning the employees of the privately-run el dorado bird reserve fill the feeders with new sugar water. the hummingbirds drink five times their bodyweight every day. there are more than 130 species of them in colombia. >> the feeders help us to keep tabs on the populations of many of the endemic hummingbird species, help us determine whether specific ones have increased, and monitor their migration patterns at different times of the year. >> the sierra nevada de santa marta is the world's highest coastal mountain range. the 5000 metre summits are visible only very early in the morning.

with the first rays of the sun at dawn, clouds begin to form. the warm sea air from the caribbean cools off when it hits the mountain range, and this gigantic fog machine supplies its many species of flora and fauna with moisture. and it's here that the proaves foundation has established its 1000-hectare bird reserve. the rangers make their way up the san lorenzo ridge on their motorbikes. a endangered species of parrot lives here, at an elevation of about 3000 metres. the santa marta parakeet can be found nowhere else in the world.

only about 120 of them live in the proaves reserve. no one knows how many still live in the mountains. >> they're endangered for many reasons -- increasing deforestation, use of the land for agriculture, hunting and illegal trapping for the pet trade. human activity has hit this species especially hard. >> the cloud forest is the breeding habitat of this rare species of parrot. the conservationists have hung out more than als 50 nesting boxes. the rangers check regularly to see if the artificial nests have

been used. santa marta parakeets prefer to nest in 20-metre tall wax palms. to their delight, the rangers find three parakeet chicks -- though they belong to another species, the scarlet-fronted parakeet. >> we hang up the boxes where the santa marta parakeets are usually spotted and where they roost. if that doesn't work, we move them elsewhere. >> it's doubtful whether that will save the species. just 15% of the original mountain rainforest remains. livestock farming is on the advance.

the colombian government is doing hardly anything stop people clearing the forests to create pastureland. economic interests are given priority. but there are more environmentally friendly alternatives. one of them is shade-grown coffee. right now the coffee bushes are in full bloom. employees from proaves advise farmers on how to make their coffee plantations especially bird-friendly. the coffee grows in the shade of large trees. more and more farmers in the sierra nevada are opting for this sustainable method of cropping. >> by preserving individual trees, the shade-grown coffee

plantations provide linkage between the remaining forested areas, acting like bridges, so the birds can fly onwards. in addition the coffee attracts many animal species, both with its blossoms, and later the fruits. it's virtually a forest in itself, a habitat for the birds. >> the el dorado bird reserve is now attracting a very special species -- twitchers, or bird-watchers. pablo florez plays mating calls on a loudspeaker to lure the shy birds out of the undergrowth. a co-founder of proaves, he knows the visitors from faraway belgium have one aim -- to spot as many rare bird species as possible.

>> we call ourselves the hard-core community, because we're trying to spot all the bird species on a continent, or even the whole world. there are about 10,000 different bird species worldwide, and there are people who've already spotted 9100 of them. they're basically all fanatics. >> their enthusiasm serves a good cause -- the bird watchers are an important source of income for the organization. increasing ecotourism provides a glimmer of hope for the entire region and the biodiversity of the sierra nevada de santa marta. >> we stay in latin america and head to panama -- one of the economic hopefuls in the region. it boasts economic growth figures of around 8 percent -- and a very young population. more than a third are under 25.

and many of them feel that it is up to them to drive the change that will make their country fit for the future. every year the world economic forum in davos identifies "global shapers" and supports them as a network. they launch events to improve lives and bring about change. >> there aren't very many old buildings in panama city anymore. economic growth has led to a nationwide property boom. when franklin morales drives through the city, he's surprised at how many new buildings he sees. the skyline changes almost monthly. panama is now one of latin america's fastest growing countries. franklin morales is 28 years old. he attended university and gained experience working abroad. he's now using it back home in panama but not to earn big money.

>> the country has another side -- ongoing poverty, people who lack access to health care and education. there are still fundamental problems -- human dignity and adequate nutrition. so we think there is room for improvement and a need for action, and that we young people must take over responsibility. after all, we make up the majority of the population. >> nearly 40% of panamanians are under the age of 25. most are educated in outdated and overburdened schools and universities. here the emphasis is on discipline rather than encouraging students to think for themselves. franklin morales and his friends refuse to accept that. in their free time, they organize regular workshops in schools.

everything is worked out together and nothing is compulsory. the pupils learn soft skills -- taking responsibility, working in teams, and making decisions. for many of them that's completely new. >> we think these are valuable tools teenagers can acquire at 14 or 15 -- when many are deciding what to do with their lives. we want to help them as early as possible to plan their careers and studies. >> the prospects for young people are not rosy, despite panama's economic growth. franklin morales and his fellow campaigners want to change that. there's still plenty to do -- in

the health sector as well. people who can't afford patient contributions have a problem. in panama city's largest hospital, blood is in short supply. surgery is only scheduled for patients who've donated their own blood in advance. in rural areas, the situation is even worse. sometimes doctors are at their wits' end because there's not enough blood to treat patients. 28-year-old gabriel rebollón asked himself what could be done. he's a friend of franklin morales and a doctor. he, too, felt something had to change. on this particular day he's off work after finishing a night shift. but he always looks in at the blood bank to see what's needed. >> my twin brother and i were

born prematurely and we needed blood transfusions in the pediatric hospital. although there were people who helped us and donated blood, it was hard for my parents back then. many years later when i went to university to study medicine, i noticed the situation was still the same. that was when i decided to found sangre panamá. >> blood for panama is what rebollón's organisation is called. he visits companies, talks with employees, and tries to persuade them to donate blood regularly. he spends a lot of time campaigning for donations on top of his work as a doctor. and he's glad of every person he's convinced. it's good to get support for his volunteer work from kindred spirits, though. so he and other volunteeers have joined the global shapers

network. they're connected worldwide with thousands of other young people committed to similar causes. they give each other advice and mutual support -- in panama and elsewhere in the world. >> and the lebanese certainly know a lot about helping others out. the country has its own political and economic challenges, yet it has taken in some one million syrian refugees. as result it now has the highest per capita concentration of refugees worldwide. there we meet jamal mohammad hodur who firmly believes in peace for all -- despite or because of where he lives. >> i'm jamal mohammad hodur. i'm 51 years old. i'm living in the north of

lebanon, thirty kilometers from tripoli. my work is in agriculture and i have a horse farm. it belongs to the family for about 300 years. beirut. every sunday i must be there to see how they are looking. we are looking for the natural foods. as farmers we are near the land

or the sea. peoples, all family, all neighbors are happy. you cannot be happy alone. comes here, civil war. and now i'm 51 years. these days we cannot live as a normal, as all the peoples in all the area. we are six brothers. five of them is working out of lebanon. that means we have something wrong in our country.

now. we are all sharing in this world -- the good things and the bad things. to share with others, to work with others -- it's a good idea. we must do it. we must look for it, because we need something and they need something. this sharing is best for all the nations. share your view of the world -- do fill in our global 3000 questionnaire. and you might find your answers right here on the programme. here's how it works. >> my name is tony rasta. >> we want to get to know you! become part of the global 3000

community and answer our questionnaire! what does globalization mean to you? >> to me, globalization means respecting differences. >> what do you do for a living? >> i've been a zookeeper for 25 years. >> and how do you spend your leisure time? i like to go fishing. >> just send us a video or answer the questions on our website. >> and you can find our questions for you at dw.de/english/global3000. football is big in africa -- so if you have a country where the average age is 16 -- it's clear the sport has huge appeal. a non profit organization is trying to turn that into a way to help malawi's kids. the country faces a long list of challenges -- among them a high drop-out rate in schools. by not providing them with proper education, malawi is failing its youngsters -- denying them the means to equip themselves to tackles the

country's problems. and that's where football comes in. >> in a country where the average age is 16 -- football is bound to be a big deal. he is really good at it. afternoon practice at the supper club. the boys here were discovered because they had a lot of talent, including this 17-year-old. after the warm-up, time for the next round. he is a midfielder, responsible for strategy. the other players have to be able to depend on him. today it is extremely hot, but practice continues.

just a short break for a jury of water. the players have to have discipline and 20 of stamina -- and plenty of stamina. >> practice helps us keep physically fit, so that we don't get tired easily on the pitch. it also helps us to be very focused and work hard, which can be decisive in a match. >> his home is on the other side of the hill, in ndirande, an outlying district of blantyre -- it's a disadvantaged neighborhood. conditions here are bad. tens of thousands of people live in close quarters. life is hard, and even the bare

necessities are lacking. but jabbes doesn't let himself get discouraged. >> this is my home. and that's my mother. she sells charcoal to earn some money for the family. i learned my soccer skills from play soccer malawi. >> play soccer malawi is the project that gave him a new horizon. it's opened doors for jabbes -- paving the way to recognition and a better education. there's a large soccer pitch right nearby. it's the home of play soccer malawi. jabbes was once one of these children.

sylas liwinda manages the program. he still knows jabbes very well, from the time when he came here regularly to learn and to play football. >> jabbes proved himself a hard worker from the very start. he joined when he was barely 8 and he was very ambitious. and he became very confident in his abilities. not only in football, but in classes as well. he improved quite quickly and he was deeply dedicated. and his soccer skills made him local celebrity. >> jabbes is a role model for many of the kids here. but the focus isn't only on soccer. soccer is just what gets them there.

it's about getting the children to learn something instead of just hanging out on the street. lots of kids here, especially from the poor neighbourhoods, quit school much too early. today diet and nutrition are on the lesson plan. the teacher tells the children how important vegetables and fish are -- if you can choose what you eat. after sitting still and listening, they get to play soccer. today emily jossam is coaching them. she, too, was long a member of play soccer malawi. now she's a successful footballer herself, even playing in tournaments abroad. and she's waiting for a place at university. here she's playing along so she can give something back. i coach these kids so that they get what i had from play soccer malawi. i got a scholarship to school, and i want them to have that opportunity as well.

>> before the children leave, there's another important part of the program -- something to eat. today, two bread rolls. sylas, the project manager, reminds the children to be careful and hide the bread under their shirts so it won't be stolen on their way home by other children who aren't part of the program. early the next morning, teenagers from all around ndirande flock to school. jabbesa has made it to secondary school, thanks to a recommendation from play soccer malawi and a grant. the pupils have to get their own chairs. jabbes and his classmates are on time, but the teacher is late.

that's typical in malawi. the educational system is inadequate. teachers are often paid too late and then simply don't turn up. today these kids had to wait until finally a substitute stepped in. >> it is important that not to cut classes, both for students and teachers, because we have a lot to learn. only if we get a decent education can we aim for a brighter future. >> a short breakfast break. school isn't out yet, certainly not for jabbes. but more than anything, he has his future career in mind -- becoming a great soccer player. >> and we wish him all the best for that. and that wraps up global 3000 for this week. thanks for watching, and bye-bye!gg99ññwçça7guc