Every year, dozens of men, women and children lose their lives in preventable boat accidents on Ghana's Volta Lake. Many families cannot afford a simple life jacket that could save their lives. Our goal is to provide 1000 life jackets to protect the most vulnerable communities living around the lake. 

One life jacket = one life saved.

A life jacket costs only about $10, yet for many families living around the lake, even this small amount is out of reach. Poverty, limited access to safety equipment, and lack of regulation all contribute to a situation where preventable deaths continue year after year.

Your support can literally be the difference between life and death for someone who depends on the lake for survival.

Every contribution — big or small — brings us closer to saving lives. When you give, you are not just donating money. You are giving a child a safer journey to school. You are giving a fisherman a chance to return home to his family. You are giving a mother peace of mind as she travels across the lake. You are giving hope to communities that have experienced too much loss.

Volta Lake is one of the largest man‑made lakes in the world, stretching across several regions in Ghana and serving as a daily route for thousands of people. For many communities, the lake is not just water — it is transportation, livelihood, and survival. Children cross it to get to school. Fishermen depend on it to feed their families. Mothers and market women travel across it to work and support their households.

But despite how essential the lake is, it remains extremely dangerous. Many of the boats used are small, overloaded, or poorly maintained. Most heartbreaking of all, passengers travel without life jackets. When accidents happen — and they happen far too often — the results are tragic.

This is why Team Ernie is launching a humanitarian campaign to provide 1,000 life jackets to the communities that need them most. Our mission is simple and focused: save lives by giving families the basic safety equipment they cannot afford.

We will be purchasing the life jackets in bulk, shipping them to Ghana, clearing them through customs, and transporting them from Tema Port to the Volta Region. Once in the region, the jackets will be distributed through trusted local leaders, churches, and community volunteers who understand the needs on the ground. This ensures that the life jackets reach the right people — students, fishermen, mothers, and children who rely on the lake every day.

Your donation will help us cover:

• 1,000 life jackets
• Shipping to Ghana 
• Customs clearance and port fees
• Transportation from Tema Port to Volta Region
• Local distribution to lakeside communities

We are committed to full transparency throughout this project. Donors will receive updates at every stage, including:

• Photos of the life jackets
• Shipping and tracking updates
• Receipts and cost breakdowns
• Distribution photos and videos
• Stories from the families and communities impacted

This project is more than a fundraiser — it is a mission to protect lives, strengthen communities, and bring hope to families who face daily risks. Together, we can make a real and lasting difference.

Thank you for standing with us.
Thank you for choosing life.
Thank you for helping protect the people of Volta Lake.

— Team Ernie

https://www.modernghana.com/news/924457/the-faith-of-passengers-on-water-transport-in-ghana-a-disas.html