Why Do So Many Africans Drown?
One of the most dangerous spots is Lake Victoria. And even the police who patrol the lake don't always know how to swim. But a life preserver may be on the way.
Peter Ssali makes his living on Lake Victoria. Most days he fishes on Africa's largest lake. Sometimes he ferries cargo to the lake's islands or gives tours to sightseers on the small boat he leases for around $5 a day.
The 34-year-old Ugandan with a scruffy beard and shaved head has been on the lake pretty much every day for the last 12 years.
But he can't swim.
He's also distrustful of the life jacket in the corner of his small wooden boat. He calls it "fake" and "cheap" and says it wouldn't help if he capsized. Better models exist, he says, but at more
