FRONTLINE/World: Ghana: Digital Dumping Ground
AIRDATE: JUNE 23, 2009
 
ANNOUNCER: TONIGHT ON FRONTLINE WORLD, THREE STORIES FROM A SMALL PLANET. FIRST, IN GHANA...

Puckett: It’s the dirty little secret of the high tech industry.
 
...RECYLCLED COMPUTERS FROM AMERICA END UP HERE
 
Anane: Just look at this -- School District of Philadelphia
 
ANNOUNCER: CORRESPONDENT PETER KLEIN  AND HIS TEAM OF JOURNALISM STUDENTS SET OUT ON A GLOBAL INVESTIGATION OF A TOXIC TRADE THAT MAY THREATEN YOUR PERSONAL SECURITY.
 
Messiah:  We can get every information about you.
 
ANNOUNCER: NEXT, IN EGYPT…
 
Soraya: The economic wellbeing of youth is a national security issue.
 
...A COMPETITION TURNS STUDENTS INTO ENTREPRENEURS
 
Abdul Hamid: Some people who laughed at me, they are now shareholders

COULD THIS NEW MODEL HELP REVITALIZE THE MIDDLE EAST? ...AND FINALLY TONIGHT, IN VIETNAM...
 
Marc: Oh there you go he can use the foot pedals to carry things…
...A NEW SPIN ON AN OLD IDEA BRINGS  A WHEELCHAIR TO THE DEVELOPING WORLD…AND MUCH MORE…
 
Ralf: There was no other wheelchair that worked well enough in developing countries. You have go to long distances over rocky or sandy or muddy roads.

GHANA: DIGITAL DUMPING GROUND
REPORTED BY PETER KLEIN

ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF GHANA'S BIGGEST CITY SITS A SMOLDERING WASTELAND, A SLUM CARVED INTO THE BANKS OF THE KORLE LAGOON, ONE OF THE MOST POLLUTED BODIES OF WATER ON EARTH. THE LOCALS CALL IT SODOM AND GOMORRAH.

A GROUP OF MY GRADUATE JOURNALISM STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA HAVE COME AS PART OF A GLOBAL INVESTIGATION.

WE'RE TRACKING A SHADOWY INDUSTRY THAT'S CAUSING BIG PROBLEMS HERE AND AROUND THE WORLD.

OUR GUIDE TURNED OUT TO BE A THIRTEEN YEAR OLD BOY NAMED ALEX. HE SAYS THIS IS THE KIND OF PLACE WHERE KIDS GROW UP FAST. 

Alex: I live here.
Reporter: How many people sleep there?
Alex: We are three people who sleep here.

HE OFFERS TO TAKE US ALONG ON HIS SHORT WALK TO WORK, ACROSS THE DEAD RIVER TO A NOTORIOUS AREA CALLED AGBOGBLOSHIE.

Brian:  The smell. Here. You see?  It smells.

THE SMELL COMES FROM THE BURNING OF PLASTIC FROM OLD COMPUTERS AND TVs.  IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, AGBOGBLOSHIE HAS BECOME ONE OF THE WORLD'S DIGITAL DUMPING GROUNDS WHERE THE WEST'S ELECTRONIC WASTE, OR EWASTE, PILES UP HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF TONS OF IT EACH YEAR.

SOT:  breaking of tv

THE BOYS SCAVENGE A LIVING FROM THE METAL REMAINS.

Mike: Just look at this. You can’t even find the words to describe it. There's no future.

MIKE ANANE IS A LOCAL JOURNALIST WHO'S BEEN WRITING ABOUT THE BOYS AT THIS EWASTE DUMP.

Mike: Life is really difficult because you know, they eat here, surrounded by e-waste. So much burning. A lot of toxic substances.  And they basically are here to earn a living. But you can imagine the health implications of having to work here for these children, whose bodies are still growing up.

SOME OF THE BOYS BURN OLD FOAM ON TOP OF COMPUTERS TO MELT AWAY THE PLASTIC, LEAVING BEHIND SCRAPS OF COPPER AND IRON THEY CAN COLLECT TO SELL. THE YOUNGER BOYS USE MAGNETS FROM OLD SPEAKERS TO GATHER UP THE SMALLER PIECES LEFT BEHIND AT THE BURN SITE.

Reporter: So your specialty is magnets?
Boy: Yes. 

EVEN WHEN THE BOYS TAKE A BREAK, THEY'RE SURROUNDED BY THE STUFF.

ANANE SAYS HE ALSO USED TO PLAY SOCCER HERE WHEN HE WAS A KID, BUT THAT WAS WHEN THIS WAS PRISTINE WETLAND. SINCE THEN, HE'S BECOME ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S LEADING ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS.

Anane:  I'm trying to get some ownership labels. I'm collecting them because you need them as evidence. You need to tell the world where these things are coming from, and you've got to prove it. I believe in proving it. I believe in documentation. You have to prove it. Now, just look at this – School District of Philadelphia.

MOST AMERICANS HAVE NO IDEA THEIR CAST-OFF ELECTRONICS ARE BEING SHIPPED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD. WHEN CONTAINERS OF OLD COMPUTERS FIRST BEGAN ARRIVING IN WEST AFRICA A FEW YEARS AGO, GHANAINS WELCOMED WHAT THEY THOUGHT WERE DONATIONS TO HELP BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.

BUT SOON A WHOLE SHADOW ECONOMY SPRUNG UP AROUND THE SHIPMENTS. EXPORTERS LEARNED TO EXPLOIT THE LOOPHOLES BY LABELING JUNK COMPUTERS "DONATIONS," LEAVING MEN LIKE GODSON TO SORT IT OUT.

Godson: This is where we keep our goods.

HE BOUGHT THIS CONTAINER FROM ONE OF THE SHIPPERS AND MOVED IT TO THIS LOT NEAR THE PORT.

Reporter: Tell me about this stuff. Where's it from?

Man: Some are from Germany and U.K. And also America.

Reporter:  All the way from America, wow.

HE SORTS THROUGH THEM LOOKING FOR WORKING ELECTRONICS THAT CAN BE SOLD.

Reporter: Tell me about like, how much works, roughly. When you get stuff, like what's the percentage?
Man: Maybe 50-50. It's 50-50.

AFTER ITS SORTED, A LOT OF THIS WILL BE DUMPED AT THE BURN SITE OUTSIDE OF TOWN.

HARD DRIVES THAT CAN BE SALVAGED ARE DISPLAYED AT THESE OPEN AIR MARKETS, A BENEFIT FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T AFFORD NEW EQUIPMENT. BUT THERE'S A HIDDEN DANGER. MANY OF THESE DRIVES STILL CONTAIN THE PERSONA DATA OF THE ORIGINAL OWNERS. 

OFF CAMERA, GHANAIANS ADMIT TO US THAT ORGANIZED CRIMINALS SOMETIMES COMB THROUGH THESE DRIVES FOR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO USE IN SCAMS. 
SO WE DECIDED TO BUY SOME HARD DRIVES OF OUR OWN TO SEE WHAT'S ON THEM, SECRETLY FILMING THE TRANSACTION TO AVOID THE SELLER'S SUSPICIONS.

Reporter: How much if I wanted to get one of those?
Man: 350.
Reporter:  350? 

MY STUDENTS TAKE THE HARD DRIVES TO REGENT UNIVERSITY IN THE GHANAIAN CAPITAL AND ASK COMPUTER SCIENTIST ENOCH KWESI MESSIAH TO HELP US READ THEM.

Reporter: Will we be able to see the information on the drive?
Messiah: Yes.
Reporter: From just hooking all that up?  Just as simple as that?
Messiah: Just as simple as that.

WITHIN MINUTES, HE SHOWS US INTIMATE DETAILS OF PEOPLE'S LIVES, FILES LEFT BEHIND BY THE HARD DRIVES' ORIGINAL OWNERS.

Reporter: Wow.

AND WE FIND PRIVATE FINANCIAL DATA, TOO: CREDIT CARD NUMBERS, ACCOUNT INFORMATION, RECORDS OF ONLINE TRANSACTIONS THE ORIGINAL OWNERS MAY NOT HAVE REALIZED WERE EVEN THERE.

Messiah: I can get your bank numbers and I retrieve all your money from your accounts.   
Reporter:  How does that happen?
Messiah:  It happens through, let's say, a back-up on a drive.  In case you lost your card and I have the number, I just log into the ATM card and then get every information about you.
Reporter: So basically you could see anybody’s files.
Messiah: Anybody’s file. If ever somebody gets your hard drive he can get every information about you from the drive. Every information, no matter where it is hidden.

THAT'S PARTICULARLY A PROBLEM IN A PLACE LIKE GHANA WHICH IS LISTED BY THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT AS ONE OF THE TOP SOURCES OF CYBERCRIME IN THE WORLD. AND IT'S NOT JUST INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPOSED.

Klein: Here's one with a twenty-two million dollar government contract.

AFTER LEAVING GHANA, THE STUDENTS AND I ANALYZED THE DRIVES AND WERE SURPRISED AT WHAT WE FOUND WHEN WE LOOKED A LITTLE DEEPER.

Klein: ..authorized for local reproduction, so clearly they don't want this out.

IT TURNS OUT THIS DRIVE CAME FROM NORTHROP GRUMMAN, ONE OF AMERICA'S LARGEST MILITARY CONTRACTORS. AND IT CONTAINS DETAILS ABOUT SENSITIVE, MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.

Klein: Here's one with the Pentagon, right?

WE ALSO FIND CONTRACTS WITH THE DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, NASA, EVEN HOMELAND SECURITY.

WE SHOW THE DRIVES TO JAMES DURIE, WHO WORKS ON DATA SECURITY FOR THE FBI . HE'S PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL BREACH AT THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION.
 
Durie: The government contracting process is supposed to be confidential. If I know how you're hiring the people for security related job, TSA air marshals, then I can prepare a person to fit that model and then get my guy in.  Now once I have my guy in, you have no security.

DURIE SAYS THAT COMPANIES LIKE NORTHRUP GRUMMAN MAY BELIEVE THEY'VE SUCCESSFULLY ERASED THEIR DRIVES BEFORE RECYCLING. BUT THEN HE SHOWS US THE ONLY SURE FIRE WAY TO KEEP THE DATA OUT OF THE WRONG HANDS.

Durie: You just start banging on it...There you go. I'm guessing after that, it's not gonna spin up.

NORTHROP GRUMMAN REFUSED TO SPEAK WITH US ON CAMREA. BUT THEY DID ISSUE A STATEMENT SAYING THE POTENTIAL SECURITY THREAT WAS DISCONCERTING, AND THEY PLEDGED TO INVESTIGATE.

Reporter:  Why don't we go in the front door...

RIGHT NOW THERE ARE NO TOUGH U.S. LAWS REGULATING THE DISPOSAL OF EWASTE, LEAVING COMPANIES AND CONSUMERS TO SORT OUT THE CLAIMS OF RECYCLERS ON THEIR OWN.

Reporter:  Can we bother you two secs?  We have a couple of monitors we want to get rid of.

WE WANTED TO FOLLOW THE RECYCLING PROCESS OURSELVES. SO WEARING A HIDDEN CAMERA, THE STUDENTS DROP OFF SOME EWASTE AT THIS FACILITY ON THE WEST COAST. WE'RE ASSURED THE EWASTE WILL BE DISPOSED OF SAFELY AND LOCALLY.

Man:  What they literally do is they dump it into a blast furnace and it burns it all up, and all they get out of it is a bunch of ash and some of the precious metal. That's all that's left. Everything else gets consumed, burnt. And that's an actual fact.

WE TAKE NOTE OF THE ID NUMBERS ON THE CONTAINERS AND USING PUBLIC RECORDS, WE TRACE WHERE THEY'RE SENT. A FEW WEEKS LATER, OUR REPORTING LANDS US HERE, IN THE PORT OF HONG KONG.

Reporter: I think....  See those ones look shorter.

WE SEE FOR OURSELVES HOW HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF TONS OF OUR OLD ELECTRONICS ARE SLIPPED OUT OF NORTH AMERICA INTO THE WORLD'S BIGGEST SHADOW MARKET FOR EWASTE. JUST A FEW MILES FROM THE PORT, HIDDEN BEHIND EIGHT FOOT HIGH CORRUGATED WALLS, WE SEE MOUNTAINS OF COMPUTER MONITORS, PRINTER CARTRIDGES FROM GEORGIA, RELICS OF OLD VIDEO ARCADES.
  
IN CHINA, EWASTE HAS BECOME BIG BUSINESS. 
WE MAKE OUR WAY TO THE SOUTHERN CHINESE CITY, GUIYU. IT'S COMPLETELY BUILT AROUND THE EWASTE TRADE. MILES AND MILES AND MILES OF NOTHING BUT OLD ELECTRONICS. VIRTUALLY EVERYONE WE SAW IN GUIYU WAS EITHER HAULING ELECTRONICS OR DISMANTLING THEM.

Reporter: Hello, how are you. Can you ask him, is it difficult work?

Man:  It's hard to make money, so I do it like this by myself. I can't depend on other workers.

Puckett: Guiyu is the dirty little secret of the hi-tech industry really. Even the workers, they have no idea of the long terms impacts to their children. They don’t realize what’s really happening to their health.

JIM PUCKETT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST CREDITED WITH DISCOVERING THIS HARMFUL EWASTE ROUTE TO CHINA.

Puckett:  Every time I put my hand down in, I pull up another piece of computer. Unbelievable.

THIS VIDEO, SHOT IN 2001, WAS THE FIRST ANYONE HAD DOCUMENTED OF WESTERN COMPUTERS BEING DUMPED IN GUIYU.

HE FOUND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WORKING HERE IN THE TOXIC TRADE.
Puckett:  I'm not sure what these components are.

WE INVITED PUCKETT TO JOIN US ON OUR VISIT TO GUIYU THIS YEAR, AND HE SAYS IT'S ONLY GOTTEN WORSE.

Puckett: I was there first in 2001 and it was shocking enough then. It had gone from very bad to really horrific. And what is happening there is rather apocalyptic.

Puckett:  Behind these chimneys are the burn stations, all retrofitted. I smell the solder here. Here, let's get out.

ONE OF THE MOST DISTURBING THINGS PUCKETT SHOWS US IS TAKING PLACE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. WOMEN LITERALLY COOKING CIRCUIT BOARDS TO SALVAGE THE COMPUTER CHIPS WHICH HAVE TRACE AMOUNTS OF GOLD. THEY'RE SLOWLY POISONING THEMSELVES WITH LEAD FUMES.

Puckett:  So all these old mother boards and other types of circuit boards are being cooked day in and day out, mostly by women, sitting there, breathing the lead tin solders. Its just quite devastating.

WE WANTED TO KNOW WHO'S MAKING MONEY OFF THIS HAZARDOUS WORK. AND THAT BROUGHT US TO DOWNTOWN HONG KONG, HOME TO HUNDREDS OF COMPANIES THAT IMPORT EWASTE INTO CHINA. NO ONE HERE WOULD SPEAK TO US ON CAMERA. SO WE FILMED SURREPTITIOUSLY.

JIM PUCKETT AND I ARRANGE TO MEET ONE EWASTE BROKER WHO WAS WILLING TO EXPLAIN THE EWASTE TRADE FROM THE INSIDE.

Puckett: You're hard to find.
Puckett: You've never had any trouble with customs bringing it across in trucks?
THE MAN EXPLAINS HOW AMERICAN EWASTE MAKES ITS WAY INTO CHINA, DESPITE LAWS INTENDED TO STOP IT.
Puckett:  If we were to send you our material, would our recyclers get in trouble with the Chinese governement if they find their material coming into mainland?

Cheung: I can only say that if they get caught it has nothing to do with you. Because I buy from you, and then I sell to him. He is buying from me, he's not buying from you.

THE MAN SAYS SINCE HONG KONG SHIPS MILLIONS OF CONTAINERS TO THE U.S. AND MOST RETURN EMPTY, IT'S CHEAP TO LOAD THEM WITH EWASTE. AND TOO EXPENSIVE TO DISPOSE OF THE WASTE SAFELY, NO MATTER WHAT RECYCLERS CLAIM.

Klein: ...due diligence and checking how environmentally safe it is?
Puckett: ...good environmental recycling...
Cheung: I can only say one thing, if you want to do it environmentally, you have to pay. They have to invest in machinery-- everything, labor.  It isn’t worth it to pay so much money.
Puckett:  But is it hurting the environment?
Cheung: It’s hurting.
Puckett: It’s hurting.
Cheung:  Actually it’s hurting. But they're limited to a certain place. And you have to think about it in this way. China is a developing country. They have to go through this process. Sometimes you have to sacrifice something in order to get something.
Puckett:  What we just witnessed was a typical broker. We kept asking him, "But isn't it illegal to take it to China?"  He said, "That's not for you to worry about." He was very respectful of what he knows about Hong Kong law. He said, "No, I can't take CRTs, I can't take batteries." And when I asked him what should we do with the CRTs, he said take them to Vietnam.

VIETNAM, MALAYSIA, PAKISTAN -- THE LIST OF DIGITAL DUMPING GROUNDS KEEPS GROWING. BUT WE HEARD THAT ONE OF THE BIGGEST IMPORTERS OF EWASTE FROM THE WEST IS NOW TRYING TO CHANGE.

SO A TEAM OF MY GRADUATE STUDENTS MADE ONE LAST TRIP, TO INDIA. NO LONGER JUST A DUMPING GROUND, INDIA IS NOW GENERATING ITS OWN EWASTE AT AN ALARMING RATE THANKS TO A GROWING MIDDLE CLASS WITH A TASTE FOR HIGH TECH.

Rohan:  Last year, we sold more than seven million PCs in India. We generated 330,000 tons of electronic waste within India. So all these are going to comeback to the waste stream sooner or later. It’s a growing industry.

THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY OUTSIDE BANGALORE HAS BEEN OPENED UP BY A BUSINESSMAN NAMED ROHAN GUPTA.

HE'S BETTING ON A NEW INDIAN LAW THAT COULD FORCE THE HIGH TECH INDUSTRY HERE TO RECYCLE RESPONSIBLY AND MAYBE ONE DAY PUT THE DIGITAL DUMPS OUT OF BUSINESS.

Gupta: Yes, we have solutions. We could put up such plants across the world. Those are the solutions. Ten years down the line it could be worth a billion dollar industry.

ONE RECYCLED BIT AT A TIME, THE PROFITS MIGHT REALLY BEGIN TO ADD UP.
AT THIS NEARBY PLANT, THEY'RE LITERALLY TRYING TO SPIN THE WASTE INTO GOLD, REFINING THE SCRAP IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT AND FASHIONING IT INTO WATCHES AND JEWELRY THEY MARKET AS ECO FRIENDLY.

PLANTS LIKE THIS COULD BECOME PART OF A GLOBAL NETWORK OF CERTIFIED EWASTE RECYCLERS THAT JIM PUCKETT'S GROUP IS TRYING TO GET OFF THE GROUND. BUT EVEN PUCKETT REALIZES IT'S AN UPHILL STRUGGLE.

Puckett:  Even if you have a state-of-the-art facility in a country like India, the free market there will send it to the lowest common denominator, to the worst facilities where people are sitting on the streets just picking through it by hand.  It’s a myth to think that you can just solve the problem immediately with technology alone.   

BEFORE LEAVING INDIA, THE STUDENTS FIND SOME TELL TALE SIGNS OF BACK ALLEY EWASTE WORK -- A TRAIL OF STRIPPED CIRCUIT BOARDS, WHICH BRINGS US TO THIS LOCKED COURTYARD. INSIDE, THE TOXIC TRADE CONTINUES.
Maakhan Singh: Sometimes the fumes make me sick. It's like a burning sensation in the abdomen. If I don’t do it, I won’t get the money.  So I do it. 

INDIA MAY HAVE BANNED THESE SULPHURIC ACID BATHS, BUT IT'S HARD TO ENFORCE. AND FOR THIS NINETEEN YEAR OLD, AND COUNTLESS OTHERS AROUND THE WORLD, THE ECONOMICS OF EWASTE WON'T BE EASILY CHANGED.

Reporter: Do his parents know what he's doing now?
Singh: No.
(Translator asks question)
Singh: I didn’t tell them that I work in this business. I am ruining my life. But I wouldn’t allow my children to waste their lives.

LATER TONIGHT, IN VIETNAM… NEW MOBILITY FOR THE DISABLED.
BUT FIRST, IN EGYPT… A COMPETITION THAT COULD HELP TURN AROUND THE MIDDLE EAST.

      
EGYPT: MIDDLE EAST, INC.
REPORTED BY AMANDA PIKE

WE THINK OF EGYPT AS AN ANCIENT AND TIMELESS PLACE. BUT TODAY'S CAIRO IS A CITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE, AND IT'S GROWING FAST. 

THEY'RE MOSTLY UNDER THIRTY AND THEY'RE THE NEW MAJORITY IN EGYPT. PEOPLE HERE CALL THEM THE WAITING GENERATION. THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE FINDING A PLACE IN THE COUNTRY'S STAGNANT ECONOMY WHERE ON AVERAGE THERE'S A FIVE YEAR WAIT FOR A DECENT JOB, EVEN FOR COLLEGE GRADUATES.

Shaheed: I have a bachelor's of commerce. Why are you surprised? Everybody here is a university graduate.

WAHID SHAHEED WORKED HIS WAY THROUGH COLLEGE AND EXPECTED A GOVERNMENT JOB LIKE HIS PARENTS. BUT FINDING NOTHING, HE NOW SELLS MOBILE PHONES ON THE STREET.

Shaheed:  That's what upsets me. I swear by God. I was educated. I wasted my whole life in education. Pointless. I hang my certificate on the wall, then I spit on it. 

Soraya Salti: When you have youth who are educated and unemployed what will they do with their lives?  Either these youth become a burden on our economies or they become an engine of growth and prosperity.

SORAYA SALTI IS A JORDANIAN TRYING TO TURN ARAB YOUTH TOWARD THE WORLD OF BUSINESS. SHE RUNS A NON-PROFIT CALLED INJAZ, A SPIN OFF OF THE AMERICAN JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM.
 
THIS OFFICE IN EGYPT IS ONE OF A DOZEN INJAZ PROGRAMS ACROSS THE REGION. THEY'RE WORKING TO DEFUSE A DEMOGRAPHIC TIME BOMB.

Soraya:  We want to catch them before they're unemployed and we want to instill in them the entrepreneurial spirit and the entrepreneurial skill set so that they can create their employment opportunity. We want to create excitement. And what's the best thing to do, more than create a competition for entrepreneurs?

THIS IS THE CENTERPIECE OF THE INJAZ PROGRAM, THE ANNUAL BATTLE FOR THE BEST STUDENT COMPANY. TEAMS FROM ACROSS CAIRO GO HEAD TO HEAD TO CREATE THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND PROFITABLE BUSINESS. THINK OF IT AS "THE APPRENTICE" FOR THE MIDDLE EAST COLLEGE SET. BUT INSTEAD OF DONALD TRUMP, THE JUDGES ARE EGYPTIAN INDUSTRY TITANS LOOKING TO DEVELOP THE BUSINESS LEADERS THE COUNTRY SORELY NEEDS.

HANNY EL MESSERY, ONE OF EGYPT'S TOP YOUNG EXECUTIVES, JUDGED LAST YEAR'S CONTEST.

El Messery: It's is very simple. It's going to be the Jeopardy show. Or in Arabic and English, Who wants to be... Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

BUT THIS YEAR HE'S DECIDED TO ENTER THE FRAY AND MENTOR HIS OWN TEAM.
El Messery: I am a no nonsense guy. I'm here to win. I'm not here to have fun. I'm not here to become number two or number three. We're here to be number one in everything we do.
 
HANNY'S ADVISING A GROUP OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS FROM ONE OF EGYPTS TOP UNIVERSITIES. THEY'VE GOT AN IDEA FOR A RECYCLING COMPANY THAT THEY THINK CAN TAKE THE TITLE THIS YEAR.

Yousri: I think we have an advantage. This is a major thing. You are contributing to our society in a way that makes you money. What else can you do?

TWENTY-ONE YEAR OLD AHMED YOUSRI IS THE TEAM'S CEO. HIS COMPANY FORMS PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES TO COLLECT THEIR GARBAGE AND RECYCLE IT FOR A PROFIT. AS PART OF THEIR MARKETING CAMPAIGN, THEY'RE TRYING TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT ENVIRONMENTALISM. BUT THE GREEN REVOLUTION HASN'T QUITE CAUGHT ON HERE.

Yousri:  So what do you know about Earth Day?

Young man: Do they have Earth Day twice? Like every month?

SINCE JOINING INJAZ, AHMED'S BECOME CONSUMED WITH HIS NEW PASSION FOR BUSINESS, EVEN WHEN HE GETS TOGETHER WITH FRIENDS AT A WEEKEND BARBEQUE.

Yousri:  Creating awareness is part of our vision . Changing Egyptian behavior, changing Egyptian identity, so the habit isn't just to throw stuff away. And I'm the CEO. I swear!

BUT HIS WORK WITH INJAZ IS PROVING TO BE A TOUGH SELL AT HOME.

Father: When's the competition?
Yousri: It's still in a ...
Father: Is there a cash prize?
Yousri: No.
Father: So what do you get out of it?
Yousri: Just to compete, between us and them.

AHMED'S FATHER THINKS THE PROBLEM WITH THE NEXT GENERATION ISN'T A LACK OF OPPORTUNITY, BUT UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.

Father: At work, I started off at the bottom, as a typist. Everybody wants to be a manager, or a doctor. Nothing less than that. They want a job that fits their image once they graduate.
Yousri: There is a huge gap between our generation and his generation. For him the most important thing is if this has interrupted my school then it's not worth it. So I hope I'm gonna change his mind soon.

EIGHT OTHER INJAZ TEAMS ARE WORKING AROUND CAIRO TO WIN THE INJAZ COMPETITION. BUT THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEIR RIVALS ARE UP TO.

Abdul Hamid Ahmed: You're in a fight without knowing who you're fighting. You're fighting in the dark. So you have to hit everywhere.

ABDUL HAMID AHMED IS A LAW STUDENT WHO'S MAKING HIS FIRST FORAY INTO BUSINESS.

Abdul Hamid:  When I told people that I'll be a CEO in the company, some people mocked me. Really. Once people saw the product who laughed at me, they are now shareholders.

HIS COMPANY IS PINNING ITS HOPES ON A UNIQUE BAG THEY'VE DEVELOPED THAT CONVERTS INTO A LAP DESK.

Abdul Hamid: This is a laptop pillow and a desk. It's called smile.

HE'S SOLD ALMOST 6000 BAGS SO FAR, MAKING THOUSANDS IN PROFITS. AND HE'S STILL TRYING TO RACK UP MORE SALES BEFORE THE COMPETITION DEADLINE.

Abdul Hamid: From day one of starting the company competition I have read 15 books on body language, business skills, leadership skills, sales skills, how to organize everything. I can give you titles if you want.

ALL OF THE PREPARATION HAS LEFT HIM PRETTY CONFIDENT. 

Abdul Hamid: Worst scenario would be first place. Worst scenario. If something was worth more than first place, we will have it I think.

Nour: These are the posters for the magazine.

ACROSS TOWN, NOUR RAFAAT IS HUSTLING TO COMPLETE HER OWN LAST MINUTE SALES. THE 18 YEAR OLD PHARMACY STUDENT IS HOPING TO IMPRESS THE IN JAZ JUDGES WITH HER YOUTH MAGAZINE "ARIFTEHA" OR, "DID YOU KNOW?"

Nour: We called it "Did you know...?", because most of the information in it is new or very few people know about it. But I don't want to give it all away. You have to see it for yourself.

Nour: It's a youth magazine with topics on sports, religion, food, diet, and everything else. And this magazine is five pounds.

Young woman: Too expensive.

PAYING BACK THE START UP MONEY TO HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS ISN'T GOING TO BE EASY. ON TOP OF THAT, SHE LOST HER INJAZ ADVISOR AND MORE THAN HALF HER TEAM. BUT NOUR SAYS SHE'S NOT GIVING UP.

Nour: I bought one. Didn't you buy one?
Girl: Not yet, later.
Nour: We have to help out. If I have to buy a magazine every hour, I'll do it.

SHE'S GOT JUST 48 HOURS LEFT TO TURN A  PROFIT.
              
Nour: I don't think we are ready at all. So we're nervous and feel lots of pressure.
Nour: We're selling. It's true, we're not selling much. But we are selling. Thank God.

STILL, NOUR SAYS THE EXPERIENCE SHE'S GAINED IN THE IN JAZ COMPETITION IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT. WOMEN HERE SUFFER A RATE OF UNEMPLOYMENT FOUR TIMES HIGHER THAN MEN.

SO ANOTHER CRITICAL PART OF THE INJAZ MISSION IS REACHING GIRLS EARLY. SORAYA TELLS ME THEY COME INTO SCHOOLS LIKE THIS ONE TO CONNECT WITH GIRLS BEFORE THEY BECOME DISCOURAGED.

Soraya: They just give up. They decide that I don't even want to be part of this workforce and 40 percent of them become housewives. Just from the start. "Halas. There's no place for me."
Soraya: As you move step by step through the Injaz program you'll learn about business and the skills that the market needs. Do you think you'll get jobs easily after you graduate from school?

THE STAKES ARE HIGH. A COUNTRY'S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY IS CLOSELY TIED TO FEMALE EMPLOYMENT.

Girl: At first, I didn't know how to think on my own. But after participating here with my friends, now I make my own choices.

SORAYA HOPES THESE GIRLS WILL CONTINUE WITH THE INJAZ PROGRAM. BUT IN TODAY'S EGYPT, SHE SAYS, THE ODDS ARE STIL STACKED AGAINST THEM.

Soraya: Education reform is going to be taking be taking years, and we have no time. We always say youth are the future, right? Of every country youth are the future. Youth are today. They exist and breathe today. We can't wait.

IT'S THE NIGHT BEFORE THE COMPETITION, AND ALL THREE INJAZ TEAMS ARE SCRAMBLING TO PREPARE.

ABDUL HAMID RUNS HIS TEAM LIKE A MILITARY OPERATION, PLANNING EVERYTHING DOWN TO THE MINUTE.

Abdul Hamid: So you all know when we're getting up? 5:30 am!

HE'S NOT LEAVING ANYTHING TO CHANCE.

Abdul Hamid: We may be asked questions anywhere. Anyone going to the bathroom -- sorry for this example -- might find a judge next to him. for this example 

ABDUL HAMID PLANS TO DRILL HIS TEAM LATE INTO THE NIGHT.

Abdul Hamid: You messed up terribly!

MEANWHILE, AHMED  REHEARSES HIS PRESENTATION IN ENGLISH.

Yousri: Welcome to the Forsa show!

THE TEAM'S MODELED IT AFTER A GAME SHOW.

AHMED'S INTENT ON GETTING HIS MESSAGE RIGHT. HE'LL ONLY HAVE ONE CHANCE WITH THE JUDGES. BUT BACK HOME, HE STILL DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO WIN OVER HIS FATHER.

Father: - He spent two nights without sleep. - He's been working all night. I just want to know what eats up his time.
Yousri: I know Dad. I swear to God I know. Because believe me, it's the last day.
AHMED HAS AN UNUSUAL STRATEGY TO PREPARE FOR TOMORROW.
Yousri: I think sometimes I look better without hair and I just want tomorrow to be prefect and everything. 
Yousri: I like it!

IT'S PAST MIDNIGHT AND NOUR IS JUST COMING HOME.

Nour: Tomorrow is the most important day of my life. How do I feel? I feel very scared. Hopefully we'll get first or second place. And nothing short of that because we worked really hard.
MORNING ON COMPETITION DAY...
student: put these posters up first and put the rest blue!
Nour: They didn't spell our name right. How's that?

AFTER WEEKS OF CAREFUL PREPARATION, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

Soraya: I can't wait to see what the student companies are all about this year. 
Yousri: Can you set up the trash cans?

FOR THE FIRST TIME, ALL NINE TEAMS CAN SIZE UP THEIR RIVALS. 

Nour: I like the recycling one. I feel like they are doing something good.

PRODUCTS RANGE FROM TOYS TO ECOTOURISM.

SURPRISINGLY, AFTER ALL THE DETAILED PLANNING, ABDUL HAMID'S TEAM IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND.

Nour: How can they be this late? Are they coming?

AS THE OTHER TEAMS PUT THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON THEIR DISPLAYS, ABDUL HAMID FINALLY ARIVES, HAVING OVERLOOKED ONE CRUCIAL DETAIL -  PARKING IN DOWNTOWN CAIRO.

Abdul Hamid: The only thing that we haven't thought of was the parking area.
Abdul Hamid: Five minutes exactly for the balloons. 
Abdul Hamid: Faster, faster. 

THE JUDGES ARRIVE, PROMINENT SENIOR EXECUTIVES FROM SOME OF EGYPT'S LARGEST COMPANIES.

Soraya: You're the first the judges will see
Abdul Hamid: Faster! You have three minutes to finish this.

ABDUL HAMID SAYS HE WONDERS IF ONE SLIP UP WILL COST HIM THE TITLE

Abdul Hamid: C and P! C and P!
Judge: It's big!
Abdul Hamid: It's multifunctional - the bag can do everything.
Judge: And the financial guy must be very happy - big profits - very big.

THE JUDGES ARE NOT JUST LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM LINE BUT ALSO FOR QUICK THINKING AND INNOVATIVE IDEAS, AND THE DRIVE TO HELP BUILD EGYPT'S NEW BUSINESS CLASS.

Nour: We have a vision to reach young people, and we have a message for them. 
Soraya: See it's great when you see the female leading. 

AHMED GETS ONE LAST PEP TALK BEFORE HE, TOO, FACES THE JUDGES.

Yousri: Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to welcome you to our show today. Forsa show.

BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS PRESENTATION, AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR WALKS IN. AHMED'S DAD HAS COME TO JUDGE HIS SON'S WORK FOR HIMSELF.

Judge: Do you think your idea can be sustained for a long time?
Yousri: We do not only recycle. We work on the complete value chain which is collecting, sorting, transporting, recycling, and producing. So we collect the whole chain.
Yousri: It was amazing!

NOW THAT THE PRESENTATIONS ARE OVER, ALL THE TEAMS CAN DO IS WAIT AND WONDER WHILE THE JUDGES DELIBERATE PRIVATELY.

Judge: There are no two ideas that are the same. Each one is different. One is tourism, another is a brilliant production.

THEY MUST DECIDE WHICH BUSINESS HAS THE BEST CHANCE OF REAL WORLD SUCCESS.

Judge: That's the question: which company will be able to compete in the Middle East region?
Nour: God willing they'll like us and we'll win!
Judge: In terms of score, in my opinion, there is a very small margin of difference we're talking about.
Yousri: I'm pretty nervous cause I just don't know what's going to happen.
Judge: Let's vote. We seem to all agree.

AS THE FINAL VOTES ARE TALLIED, THE TEAMS GATHER FOR THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.
 
Judge: And in the end we feel that whereas we are all winners,  there has to be unfortunately one winner.
Judge: The award for best company goes to... C and P!
Abdul Hamid: I told you before! This is what I told you before!
 
Soraya: We've had in other years ambulances coming and picking up the students who are fainting because they didn't win. They see it as oh, I just didn't make it. But they did make it, because now they know how to start entrepreneurial ventures. And these are the skills that will keep them going for life.

DESPITE THE DISAPPOINTMENT, NOUR SAYS SHE'S ALREADY LOOKING FORWARD TO COMPETING NEXT YEAR.

Nour: We were just talking at the university yesterday and were saying, "Ok gang. The magazine didn't sell, what should we do this summer? We should open a store and sell t-shirts, or something.We need a business plan."

EVEN THOUGH THE COMPETITION IS OVER, ABDUL HAMID JUST CAN'T STOP SELLING.

Judge: I'm buying some computer bags.

HE SAYS HE'S GOT EVEN MORE START UP IDEAS, AND A NEW ATTITUDE ABOUT WORK.

Judge: That looks like a bribe!
Abdul Hamid:  A job won't come to your home, hello knock knock, good morning. I'm a job. Of course it won't happen; you have to target, you have to be the job itself.

Soraya: We need thousands of students to be doing this. So we'll just have to work harder, fundraise harder, inspire more business leaders.

SORAYA SAYS INJAZ IS LOOKING TO EXPAND IN EGYPT AND CONTINUE ITS PUSH AROUND THE MIDDLE EAST.

Soraya: They know how to start a company like reading and writing....

AHMED'S TEAM WON THE AWARD FOR MOST RESPONSIBLE COMPANY, BUT IN THE END HE SAYS HE CAME AWAY WITH A MORE IMPORTANT PRIZE. 
 
Yousri: I was 100% happy to see him walk in during my presentation. I was really happy
Father:  Very nice, very good.

Father: I was so happy, I completely changed my opinion about this project. I was angry at myself for putting so much pressure on him.  I realized that this project is more useful than school work. It's better than university. I never had this experience in my whole life.I never had this experience in my whole life.

Yousri: Just to have him say that we are the best team...

Father: I still think you should have won.

Yousri: That's enough for me even if I didn't win today. That was really something. That means alot.  
ANNOUNCER: FINALLY, IN VIETNAM…ON THE MOVE IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD.
.
 

VIETNAM: WHEELS OF CHANGE

REPORTED BY MARJORIE McAFEE
 
 
VIETNAM IS A COUNTRY IN CONSTANT MOTION. WITHOUT A GOOD SET OF WHEELS, IT'S EASY TO GET LEFT BEHIND.  
 
THAT'S ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR VIETNAMESE WHEELCHAIR RIDERS LIKE QUAN DIEN.  HE LOST HIS LEGS IN THE WAR WITH CAMBODIA IN THE EARLY 1980s.
 
Quan: I fell once, because the ramp to the sidewalk was blocked. I was going too fast, and the wheelchair hit and I flew forward.
 
BECAUSE THE STREETS OF HIS NEIGHBORHOOD AREN'T WHEELCHAIR FRIENDLY, QUAN MOSTLY STAYS HOME IN HIS SMALL APARTMENT.
 
TO MAKE ENDS MEET, HE RENTS HIS BACK ROOM WORKSHOP TO ANOTHER WHEELCHAIR RIDER, THANH GIANG, WHO CONTRACTED POLIO AS A CHILD.
Thanh:  Vietnam still has a lot of shortcomings. They haven't yet been able to find a way to improve things for disabled people. Usually when they build things, they don't think if it's convenient for anyone. So, disabled people put up with a lot of difficulties. 
BUT A WORLD AWAY, THERE'S A NEW WHEELCHAIR. AND IT'S MAKING AN IMPACT.
Ralf: I can hit it hard, and nothing happens. 
 
RALF HOTCHKISS IS AN ENGINEERING PROFESSOR AT SAN FRANCISCO STATE  WHO'S BEEN THINKING ABOUT WHEELCHAIR DESIGN FOR A LONG TIME.
 
Ralf:  The wheel’s axels are very strong. You can come down a high curb, hit hard.
 
Marjorie: And nothing happens.
 
Ralf: ...nothing fails. This wheel – there’s no way I can break it.
Marjorie: Wow.
 
AFTER BECOMING PARALYZED IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT 30 YEARS AGO, RALF STARTED OUT JUST TRYING TO MAKE A BETTER WHEELCHAIR FOR HIS OWN USE. BUT HE ENDED UP MAKING A BIGGER BREAKTHROUGH WITH SOMETHING HE CALLS THE ROUGHRIDER.
 
Ralf: It was necessary to come up with the RoughRider because there was no other wheelchair that worked well enough in all of the difficult situations in developing countries. Everything you do you have to go long distances over rocky or sandy or muddy roads.
 
RALF GATHERED DESIGN IDEAS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. THE FRONT WHEEL COMES FROM A SHOPPING CART IN ZIMBABWE.
 
Ralf: Very flexible, very light. Made out of auto tire retread rubber.
 
RALF AND HIS ASSOCIATE MARC KRIZACK SHOWED ME THE ADVANTAGES OF A ROUGHRIDER OVER STANDARD HOSPITAL CHAIRS, WHICH ARE MUCH LESS STABLE.
 
ITS STANDARD PARTS LIKE BICYCLE TIRES MAKE IT LESS EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR.
 
AFTER YEARS OF TINKERING, RALF DECIDED THE ROUGHRIDER WAS READY FOR THE RIGORS OF THE DEVELOPING WORLD.
 
Toan:  The first time I met him, there was an instant connection between us. Ralf and I view each other with great admiration and respect.
 
IN 2006, TOAN NGUYEN WAS APPROACHED BY RALF TO PRODUCE THE ROUGHRIDER IN VIETNAM.
 
Toan: I saw that two people from the opposite sides of an ocean could meet to make this wheelchair.
 
MR. TOAN MAKES THE ROUGHRIDER USING LOCALLY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND INEXPENSIVE LABOR. IT’S RALF’S VISION THAT THE ROUGHRIDER SHOULD BE EASY AND CHEAP TO MAKE ANY PLACE IN THE WORLD.
 
HIS ASSOCIATE, MARC KRIZACK, CHECKS IN WITH MR. TOAN WHENEVER HE CAN.
 
Marc: It's been how long? One year? Since I was here.
Toan: One year, one year.
 
HE’S BROUGHT THE LATEST INNOVATION FROM SAN FRANCISCO WITH HIM.
 
Marc: And now all you have to do is copy this exactly as it is and you’ll have another size smaller.  
 
AS ALWAYS, THERE’S NO CHARGE FOR THE DESIGN. RALF’S TECHNOLOGIES ARE OPEN SOURCE. AND HIS WHIRLWIND WHEELCHAIR NETWORK ALSO HELPS RAISE MONEY FROM WESTERN FOUNDATIONS TO HELP PAY THE $175 COST OF THE CHAIR.
 
Marc: Wheelchair users don’t make the market –they can’t afford to buy their own wheelchairs. So what Whirlwind does is not only just transfer the technology to factories like Kien Tuong, but we also market the chairs. We try to raise the money so they can actually sell the chairs.
 
WITH WHIRLWIND'S HELP, MR. TOAN REGULARLY DONATES HIS ROUGHRIDERS TO THOSE MOST IN NEED.
 
WHILE WE WERE THERE, WE FOUND HIM AT A DISABLED ATHLETE'S TOURNAMENT GIVING AWAY CHAIRS TO THE PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING THANH GIANG WHO WE'D MET EARLIER IN QUAN'S BACK ROOM.
Than: When it comes to competing, the wheelchair is very comfortable. It doesn’t block my arm movement.
 
AFTER THE GAME, THANH WENT FOR A RIDE THROUGH HIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
 
Thanh: This wheelchair is very strong and you can lean back without falling. With other wheelchairs, you fall backwards.
Woman: What is this?
Thanh: It’s a break. You just pull it up to stop.
 
 THANH MAY BE SOLD.  BUT HIS FRIEND AND LANDLORD, QUAN, HAS HIS DOUBTS.
 
Quan: Is it comfortable to sit in?
Thanh: Yes. Very comfortable. It’s a smooth ride on the streets.
 
QUAN SAYS HIS OLD CHAIR SUITS HIM BETTER
 
Quan: Now for me to get up in this chair, it’s very easy. Getting in and out of the RoughRider is impossible. I tried it. I’m not strong enough to push myself up from the ground with my hands.
 
Marc: The first rule of wheelchair provision is "do no harm." You can give someone a wheelchair and it can be a very inappropriate wheelchair. It'd be like you know giving somebody a little sports car. Even if it’s the best Mercedes Benz sports car in the world, and the person lives in Alaska in the wintertime and they’re never gonna be able to use that. 
 
MARC HEARD ABOUT QUAN'S CONCERNS. SO HE DECIDED TO PAY HIM A VISIT, AND BROUGHT MR TOAN ALONG AS WELL.
 
Quan: Do you remember? Do you remember?
Mr. Toan: Yes! I remember!
 
IT TURNS OUT, QUAN GOT HIS FIRST CHAIR FROM MR. TOAN MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO.
 
Mr. Toan: Meeting again – it’s very emotional. 
 
QUAN SAYS THE ROUGHRIDER'S FOOTRESTS ARE OF NO USE TO HIM. BUT MARC EXPLAINS THAT THE CHAIR IS DESIGNED TO BE EASILY MODIFIED.
 
Marc: So go ahead, use your tools and fix it. Let’s do it. Let’s do it right now.
 
WITHIN MINUTES, THEY’VE RAISED THE FOOTRESTS TO CREATE A STEP.
 
Quan: Getting up is easier.
 Marc: Much easier, much easier.
 
AND THEY SEE ANOTHER BENEFIT OF THE MODIFICATION.
 
Quan: Yes, that’s right. If I buy anything, I can place it here.
Marc: Oh, there you go. You can use the foot pedals to carry things even. 
Quan: If I can transport things like this, that’s good. Having something on the footrests is better. I’m not afraid of falling backwards.
 
QUAN DECIDES TO KEEP THE CHAIR AFTER ALL.
 
FOR RALF, IT'S BEEN THE SAME STORY ALL OVER THE WORLD. HE'S BROUGHT THE ROUGHRIDER TO DOZENS OF COUNTRIES INCLUDING MEXICO, IRAQ AND SOUTH AFRICA THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH SEVERAL FACTORIES ABROAD.
 
Ralf: I would like to see Whirlwind Wheelchair become unnecessary as soon as possible. I would like to help to develop a self-sustaining competitive industry of wheelchair building all over the world. Once the marketplace is populated, hopefully by then there will be so many people working on and inventing wheelchairs, making wheelchairs better than ever that maybe in 10, 20, 30 years we won't even recognize today's chairs. They'll be history.
 
ON THE FINAL DAY OF THE PING PONG TOURNAMENT, MR. TOAN HELPS PRESENT AWARDS TO THE ATHLETES, MANY OF WHOM ARE NOW USING HIS CHAIRS.
 
AND AFTERWARDS, EVERYONE GATHERS FOR A BANQUET.
 
Singer: Disabled but not paralyzed, determined to step forward in life.
ON THIS NIGHT, THE ROUGHRIDER SEEMS TO BE THE STAR OF THE SHOW.
 
Singer: Disabled but not paralyzed, we continue to live our lives. This precious life gives us complete happiness.  This entire world gives us complete happiness.
 
ANNOUNCER: THERE'S MORE OF THE WORLD TO EXPLORE ON OUR WEB SITE.

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ANNOUNCER: AND WATCH THE LATEST  IN OUR WEB EXCLUSIVE SERIES, ROUGH CUT 

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