Episode 1 Island Stories

Lundy Island off the coast of South West England -

Islands, no matter what the country or where they are, fascinate

We marvel at their independence and detachment from the wider world.

Life often evolves rather differently and those who live

there are fiercely protective of their identity.

The BBC's language service reporters have travelled the globe,

from Indonesia's archipelago to the Caribbean, to discover some

of the world's most curious and captivating islands.

With its rich, tropical landscape, Buru is a far-flung island hidden

within Indonesia's immense archipelago.

The islanders have traditionally survived off the land,

on eucalyptus farms and paddy fields.

According to local legend, a woman dreamt there was something

She immediately began searching this vast landscape and amazingly found

Word quickly spread and thousands followed her to Mount Botak,

lured by this life-changing discovery.

Buru was laden with the most precious resource in

The hillsides were pulled apart and the digging began.

There are workers digging down this mineshaft right now,

They will be in there for 12 hours in the dark.

There are environmental and safety concerns.

But the desire for riches is simply too great.

Mahani was once a eucalyptus farmer, working for just $6 a day.

As a gold digger, she earns five times that.

TRANSLATION: The gold is a gift from God for the people

It is dangerous, but people fight for a better life.

At schools across Buru, it's a lively start to the day.

The island's new-found wealth has meant more children can buy

More of these pupils can afford high school too.

They say they would like to be doctors, teachers and policemen.

For some families, daily life has not changed at all.

They are just telling me it takes an hour to get home.

They need to cross a river, climb a hill, and then take a boat,

This rickety commune is run by their guardian,

She came here from another island and belongs to the Bajo tribe.

They are well known for living in houses on stilts.

Mama Ronja has been here for 30 years.

TRANSLATION: I would love to go to Jakarta to see the lights

They say there are trains there and I've never seen a train,

I want a different life for the kids.

They should be whatever they want to be, finish university,

160,000 Indonesians live here and it feels like almost everyone hopes

to make their fortune in these hills of gold,

One woman's dream has fundamentally changed Buru and its islanders.

Europeans once believed that this was the end of the world.

El Hierro is the smallest, remotest part of the Canary Islands,

This iconic wild juniper tree has been battered for years,

But for the islanders, the wind has become a valuable resource.

TRANSLATION: The island El Hierro, the remotest, the most neglected

of the Canary Islands, has been fighting for more than 30

years to become energy self-sufficient.

We have a dream of converting the wind into electricity to improve

Wind energy is not new but the genius of this island's system

is that they have combined wind and water.

TRANSLATION: When we have enough wind in the wind farm,

we produce electricity and distribute it through the grid.

We use what is left to pump water from a lower reservoir

When it stops blowing, we let that water fall through a set

of hydraulic turbines and we generate electricity again

El Hierro will soon be powered completely through this setup making

Whilst the wind is powering turbines down in the valley,

up above the clouds, it is propelling thrill seekers

TRANSLATION: It is the feeling of freedom, to be able to take off

from these surroundings, with the sea of clouds at your feet,

go through them and pass by the 1,500 metre high cliffs,

and all of this, all year round, in a blaze of incomparable beauty.

Despite the abundance of wind on the island,

freshwater is more difficult to come by.

There are no rivers or natural lakes on El Hierro.

So the islanders were forced to look elsewhere

More than half of this island's water comes from wells like this -

rainwater seeping through the volcanic rock.

The rest is from desalination plants.

Of course, this water is more natural and people say

The islanders often queue to fill their bottles straight

Wherever you are, the terrain grabs your attention.

Look up and the view can be just as absorbing.

The unique system for powering an island may be too costly

But El Hierro would become an example to the world -

a self-sufficient island on the road to a cleaner,

Now from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean,

Zuhura Yunus, from BBC Swahili, takes you on a trip to the African

Daily life is a struggle for the islanders.

The choice is stark - stick with it or attempt

a treacherous voyage to a more prosperous neighbour.

Off the coast of Mozambique is an island where traditions

are upheld and fragrant flowers grown.

Life on Anjouan is hard, but the drive to prosper is evident.

If you are scared of heights, you might struggle here.

It is a volcanic island where mountains tower above you.

And hidden in these spectacular hills, a precious and prized

A key ingredient in the world's most luxurious perfumes,

Anjouan is the world's top producer and these women pick up to 40

TRANSLATION: We planted ylang ylang and other crops but it is ylang

ylang that still generates an income today.

I worked in the fields picking flowers and eventually made enough

Working in ylang ylang is very difficult, in every way.

Trees chopped down to fuel the 350 distilleries.

The challenges of life on Anjouan encourage young people to strive

His big brother left Anjouan three years ago.

They haven't seen each other since and they only speak

It seems like virtually every family here has a story of a loved one

who has moved to a neighbouring island.

His brother lives 40 miles away on the more prosperous

As a French colony, it provides more jobs,

as well as free health care and education -

opportunities that Anjouan cannot offer.

Ousmani is here illegally, but he is willing to

TRANSLATION: Here you can make things up and everything

I have decided to do DIY so that I can make some money.

Many prefer to live in Mayotte because of the strength of the euro.

If I can't start a business here, I will do everything I can to start

a business in Anjouan and live there with my friends.

Back in Anjouan, the population is young and growing rapidly.

This new generation will have to decide whether to leave or keep

Blanketed in jungle, fringed by beaches, Bugala Island

is the biggest in Uganda's Ssese archipelago in Lake Victoria.

For Ugandans, Ssese used to be a shorthand for remoteness.

Today Bugala's abandoned forests and thriving waters are drawing

You would be forgiven for thinking we are in the middle of an ocean

and it is the sheer size of this lake that makes

But it is also what has sustained the people of Bugala.

In the forest, there is life on every branch and an income

Jude Kagame became a boat builder to put himself through school.

TRANSLATION: The boats we build are used for transporting people,

Some of the wood we get from here, on the island, and some

The trees we use are getting more and more scarce which is why we look

Much of the forest has been cut down for palm trees.

Palm oil is in demand around the world.

Growing it can bring wealth, but it comes at a cost.

Precise rows of palm encroach on what was once wild jungle.

Islanders people's livelihoods are visibly changing.

He tells me, five years ago, there were no more than four cars

Now he will repair more than ten cars a week.

And you would need one to traverse the new roads which carve

But look around and it is a world of water.

Every morning, fishing boats arrive at the Nakatiba landing site,

owned and run by the formidable Mama Sylvia.

As a young woman, she would fish in a small boat without an engine.

She came to Bugala in the '80s and things were different then.

TRANSLATION: The reason I was attracted to this place

was because where we were, the stocks had completely vanished

and this place was teeming with fish.

When we came here, there was no electricity, but we have started

getting piped water and the roads have been constructed.

In the coming years, Bugala is going to be so much better

than it is now because everything is being put in place.

This community is an example of what it means to persevere

Once considered distant and mysterious, Bugala is a place

that a growing number of people are now calling home.

The island is bursting with potential, but its resources

For now though, Bugala continues to hold promise and to provide.

In a moment, we will take you spear fishing with Rastafarians

But first, Andriy Kravets, from the BBC's Ukrainian service,

and covers a story of mysticism and legend.

A tiny island in the middle of the mighty Dnieper River

with the big role in Ukrainian history.

For centuries, Khortytsia has provided spiritual sanctuary

and helped define Ukrainian identity.

After all, this is the birthplace of the national icon,

In Ukraine, when you want a little boy to stop crying,

It is an old expression and it is all about being a warrior.

In the 15th century, men came here in search of freedom,

democratic self-rule and independence.

They trained, they fought, they defended their faith and became

Here being a Ukrainian Cossack is something to be proud

TRANSLATION: Zaporozhian Cossacks were very brave, decisive

Our main task is not just to act but to live like Cossacks.

We are trying to find the essence of what Cossacks had and to transfer

them into our modern life, so we work a lot with schoolchildren.

In our times, the war has kindled a spirit of patriotism in society,

so it seems to me the Cossacks will have a lot of work to do now.

The waters around the island are brimming with remnants

Dmitry Kobalia is one of many archaeologists painstakingly

The ship was found right next to Khortytsia, it was built in 1737

Forcibly sunk at the end of the Russian-Turkish war,

the boat is now part of Ukraine's unique past.

It is not just Khortytsia's history that makes this place so special.

On the other side of the island, in the stillness of the trees,

there is something else that draws people here.

With the touch of a flame, pagans start their ancient ritual.

Orthodox Christianity dominates the country,

but at the island's ancient standing stones, it is nature

that is worshipped in a 1,000-year-old Slavic tradition.

TRANSLATION: For us, to be a pagan is to respect our land,

our culture, and to develop the future of our nation.

Khortytsia is a sacred island for us.

The first time I got on this island, I got lost in the forest.

Suddenly I felt that my legs were growing into the ground.

Contemporary politics of the country have had an impact on people here.

With both ancient traditions and modern history, preserving

the island is seen as crucial in defining national identity

On Old Providence, time takes that little bit slower.

You want to do something quickly, you've come to the wrong place.

Old Providence is one of the few places in the Caribbean that has not

And the people want to keep it that way.

Yet work is hard to find and many grumble about

Only the ocean offers regular, reliable employment.

TRANSLATION: Everyday you need to get up and make it your one.

Your cannot say, "I'm off to my job," because there are no

businesses, no multinational companies, none of that.

The sea is our biggest economy and it doesn't matter

Not everyone operates honestly in these waters.

Too many islanders are lured into drug smuggling.

This is the biggest threat to their way of life.

Nobody denies this, but nor do they dwell on it.

Here they are incredibly protective of their culture.

In many parts of the world, cockfighting is a big no-no,

but for the islanders, this is pure entertainment.

From the beach to the street, big booming tunes pump out everywhere.

With a new recording studio, there is the chance to capitalise

on this passion, encouraging young talent to flourish.

I think the music studio is a great opportunity for the young people

because they have something new to do.

And I know one day we will get to it where ladies take over this island

When you visit, you have little idea of the threats facing this island.

In Old Providence, your soul is easily swept away

with the Rastafarian vibe and every day feels like a lazy

Island living requires creativity, ingenuity and endurance.

Islands have become worlds of their own, worlds we have come

to know through people's Island Stories.

After the last 24 hours, it's certainly going to quite and down a

bit. No more strong winds and blustery showers. A little breezy

out there but plenty of clear skies about through the course of this

evening and overnight. This was Storm Eva, you