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Ukraine's shameful secret

Our correspondent reveals the plight of disabled young people in Ukraine, living in institutions reminiscent of the Soviet era. Plus stories from Kenya, Peru and Pakistan.

Far from the frontline in Ukraine, thousands of disabled children and young people are trapped in Soviet-era residential homes that are overwhelmed and ill-equipped to deal with their complex needs. Dan Johnson has visited several institutions, where he met teenagers and young adults strapped to chairs or stuck in cots that they have long-since outgrown - evidence of a broken system, that’s existed long before Russia’s invasion.

This week Kenyans are voting for a new president to replace Uhuru Kenyatta. One of the main issues dominating the presidential campaign is the rising cost of living. So many of Kenya’s poor rely on informal work, without official employers or contracts, but they are the lifeblood of the cities where they ply their trade. Samuel Derbyshire has been in Nairobi, talking to street vendors, motorbike taxi drivers and cleaners who keep the city ticking.

A farmer in Peru has become an unlikely climate crusader. Saul Luciano Lliuya is bringing a landmark legal case against Germany’s biggest energy company, RWE, claiming they are putting his home at risk of flooding - even though the firm doesn’t operate in Peru. The case is based on claims that the fuel giant’s global emissions have contributed to a nearby glacier melting more quickly. Olivia Acland has been to meet the farmer at his home, high in the Peruvian Andes, to hear more about the court case which could be a tipping point for climate campaigners.

And, we head to Pakistan to watch a polo match in the Himalayas – more than 3,700 metres above sea level. The polo played here on the Shandur mountain pass is freestyle, fast and fierce. There are no umpires and players rarely wear helmets - it’s not for the faint-hearted! Hannah McCarthy joined spectators cheering on their team.

Introduced by Max Pearson

Producer: Sally Abrahams
Production Co-Ordinator: Iona Hammond

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23 minutes

Last on

Sun 7 Aug 2022 23:06GMT

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