Global Us: What connects us all

Sisikolo soup is a typical dish in the Solomon Islands, a country in the South Pacific Ocean. The soup is made from mangrove beans cooked with coconut, onions and chopped fish. It makes a rich, authentic meal comprising locally sourced ingredients.

Malaysia took in some 100,000 Rohingya fleeing Myanmar. But these refugees have no right to work, education or medical care. The plight of children is especially harsh. A former Malaysian beauty queen has founded a private school for Rohingya children.

The global demand for housing is rising. But cement is a major source of carbon emissions. Scientists in Switzerland have developed a low-cost, cement-free concrete that has far less of an environmental impact.

Two startups are blazing a trail for e-mobility by introducing electric motorcycle taxis to the streets of Kampala. The aim is to revolutionize Uganda's traffic and transport sectors.

Nitika soin Virdi lives with her husband in the Indian city of Pune. The picture of Buddha on her wall is very important to her. It represents harmony in a world of chaos, and shows that it's always possible to find happiness.

Scientists and farmers in northern Morocco are measuring the number of remaining insects. Populations of butterflies, wild bees and flies have fallen, which could have a dramatic impact on food production.

Kurdish biologist Hana Raza was worried the Persian leopard hadn't survived years of war in northern Iraq. But her fears were put to rest when the animal was spotted in the mountains in 2011. Since then she's been campaigning for a reserve.

Rwanda is often called the "land of a thousand hills". But its topography also makes it vulnerable. Heavy rain often leads to soil erosion, which can cause entire villages to be flooded. An initiative helps protect farmers against these risks.

There's nothing more British than fish and chips. But some of the best in Oxford are made by Kazem Hakimi, who was born in Iran. He came to Britain in the 1960s and opened his chippie in 1988.

Luzmery Yancy Jimenez is 34 years old and lives with her husband and five children in La Mata in Columbia, a small village in the northern part of the country on the edge of the Ciénaga Zapatosa, a huge, tropical wetland.