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 KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - When many people think of aid to Africa, they imagine sacks of grain for the starving or blankets for the homeless. But in Uganda, one charity is offering something different: swimming lessons. "After AIDS and malaria, drowning is the biggest cause of death in our local communities here on the lake," says Patrick Tumwijukye, manager of a charity that is coordinating swimming lessons on Lake Bunyonyi, in the country's far west.
In the last five years alone more than 1,000 residents have drowned in Uganda's lakes, though officials say the actual number is far higher — only a small fraction of drownings are reported to authorities.
Marine police do not keep records on how many victims have been claimed by the 67-square-mile Lake Bunyonyi, Africa's second-deepest lake.
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