Lifesavers on Lake Victoria: Fighting superstition and promoting safety
Lifesavers on Lake Victoria: Fighting superstition and promoting safety
Ugandan volunteers passing out life jackets in an effort to decrease the number of drownings in Lake Victoria.
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
Transcript
Rachel and Dominik travel up and down Lake Victoria every day. The lake, named after Britain's longest-reigning monarch, is Africa's largest. Rachel and Dominik are full-time lifesavers. They have often helped fishermen who have gotten into difficulty in the lake's treacherous waters.
Many people here are afraid of the lake. They believe that the God Mukassa rules over the water, wind and weather. He has a very violent temper. Today, Dominik and Rachel are visiting the small island of Paradise. But life here is far from perfect. More than 5,000 people drown in Uganda each year. There's a reason for that. Though almost no one knows how to swim, everyone on this island lives from the fishing industry. They risk their lives every day out on the lake in their small boats.
The two 24-year-olds are handing out lifejackets today and explaining their importance to the fishermen. Dominik and Rachel began their work as volunteers two years ago out of the conviction that people were needlessly dying out on Lake Victoria. They believe simple methods can save lives. But they face a lot of scepticism and superstition from the local people. Rachel knows this, but ploughs ahead undaunted. It's important for her to keep talking to the people of Paradise. She hopes that one day they'll get to know and trust her. Then they'll start using the lifejackets.
Barbara Arkoli's husband, for example, didn't return home from fishing one day last year. Since then, she's had to bring up her three children alone. The 26-year-old doesn't have a job and has no source of income. She's unable to feed her children properly.
Rachel and Dominik are busy trying to convince the people of Paradise that their lives needn't be plagued by hunger and death. They let the men try out the lifejackets. It's a success. The fishermen are clearly having a great time and giving the village something to laugh about. Around 30 million people live along the shores of Lake Victoria. Rachel and Dominik are from the Ugandan capital, Kampala, just a couple of kilometers inland. Their families are better off than those here. That's why they feel compelled to help the people of Paradise.
Thanks to the life-saving efforts of Rachel and Dominik, life and work here on Lake Victoria might become a little safer in the future.
Many people here are afraid of the lake. They believe that the God Mukassa rules over the water, wind and weather. He has a very violent temper. Today, Dominik and Rachel are visiting the small island of Paradise. But life here is far from perfect. More than 5,000 people drown in Uganda each year. There's a reason for that. Though almost no one knows how to swim, everyone on this island lives from the fishing industry. They risk their lives every day out on the lake in their small boats.
The two 24-year-olds are handing out lifejackets today and explaining their importance to the fishermen. Dominik and Rachel began their work as volunteers two years ago out of the conviction that people were needlessly dying out on Lake Victoria. They believe simple methods can save lives. But they face a lot of scepticism and superstition from the local people. Rachel knows this, but ploughs ahead undaunted. It's important for her to keep talking to the people of Paradise. She hopes that one day they'll get to know and trust her. Then they'll start using the lifejackets.
Barbara Arkoli's husband, for example, didn't return home from fishing one day last year. Since then, she's had to bring up her three children alone. The 26-year-old doesn't have a job and has no source of income. She's unable to feed her children properly.
Rachel and Dominik are busy trying to convince the people of Paradise that their lives needn't be plagued by hunger and death. They let the men try out the lifejackets. It's a success. The fishermen are clearly having a great time and giving the village something to laugh about. Around 30 million people live along the shores of Lake Victoria. Rachel and Dominik are from the Ugandan capital, Kampala, just a couple of kilometers inland. Their families are better off than those here. That's why they feel compelled to help the people of Paradise.
Thanks to the life-saving efforts of Rachel and Dominik, life and work here on Lake Victoria might become a little safer in the future.