Making our living through death

While his actions were considerate of his family and loved ones, it is not secret that the backlash and shock from the public were a result of the perception that these acts are highly unusual for Tanzanian communities and cultures.

In a world where jobs that involve marking of life's milestones are frequently associated with cheerful celebrations, there is a distinct set of people whose careers are inextricably linked to an unavoidable milestone of life: death.

These professionals go beyond traditional work concepts, delving into the compassionate areas of helping individuals cope with bereavement.

Majority call it the funeral industry, however, they simply refer to themselves as service provider.

These people aren’t about caskets and memorial services, they usually encompass a range of services.

Unsurprisingly, the service they provide is not the kind of job that majority appreciate or enter into blindly.

Despite the stigma associated with jobs that surround death, these people don’t stop making living through death.

We speak to citizens who earn their living from death-related services and they share glimpses into what it takes to do the work they do.

Burial ground custodians

Hamadi Rashidi - Sinza Makaburini, Dar es Salaam

Our work goes beyond business, we provide support during the most challenging times in a person’s life. We assist families in creating a forever home for their loved ones.

Usually, people mock us by saying that we pray for funerals to happen, which is not always true. Sometimes, we are paid to mow grass, trim trees, or plant bushes around their loved ones' final resting places. Some families don’t have time to do on their own, so they hire us to do those activities so their graves are not forgotten.

Salumu Ahmad - Ukonga Banana, Dar es Salaam

A lot of times, what I do is considered an omen or bad luck due to the services provided when it comes to death. What many think is that we are harbingers of death for the people we love and care about.

Shroud designer and coffin decorations

Shakila Salumu - Tabata, Dar es Salaam

Crafting shrouds for the departed requires a strong heart and in my experience, many people may view it as an inauspicious profession.

Ever since I started this job, 10-years-ago, I have never lost a market for my business.

I never lack a market for my services. I love and respect my job. It provides for my family, clothes me, and enables me to educate my child.

In addition to shroud crafting, I also decorate coffins which offers me an additional income stream. The size of the coffin determines the cost of decoration.

Depending on the type of coffin, I can make almost one fifty thousand Tanzania shillings for each.

People are just scared to employ themselves in these types of jobs but it’s one of the areas that also teach us about life and the journey that we are all going to pass through, and as such, we need to prepare ourselves better.

In many cultural contexts, particularly within African settings, engaging in the profession of crafting coffins is often perceived with a certain stigma and disapproval.

Coffin makers are occasionally labelled as 'harbingers of misfortune' by superstitious communities, driven by imaginative beliefs regarding the nature of prayers associated with such a profession.

David Emmanuel - Manzese Argentina, Dar es Salaam

Unfazed by the fear-driven perception held by the public, 27-year-old coffin maker David Emmanuel is resolute in pursuing his profession with dedication and excellence.

Motivated by his entrepreneurial spirit and a tenacious drive to overcome the challenges that life frequently presents to anyone facing adversity, David is committed to sustaining a livelihood in this widely criticised line of work.

"During the cold season, business is usually thriving. However, there are times when business becomes too slow and you find out that for a day you can be able to sell one coffin. Therefore, the coffin-selling business is one that, without patience, can be disheartening,” he shares.

David compares his work to mining, spending nights crafting various coffins without immediate customers. However, when business picks up, especially for VIP coffins, the rewards are significant.

“When business thrives, usually people come to buy the VIP coffins, which usually start around six hundred thousand and more compared to the ones that we usually sell for around three hundred thousand shillings,” he explains.

Apart from that, he elaborates on how sometimes he sleeps in the coffin when they need to work overnight when there is a special order.

“It’s a tough job. Imagine we sometimes even sleep in the coffin we’ve made when there is an overnight shift or special order. We don’t have beds here; these become our beds when we need to sleep. The biggest challenge is when the deceased have a different size than the coffin, so you need to craft another coffin. Additionally, sometimes we spend a lot of money on some coffins, and then family comes short of money, so we are forced to lower the price, and it also becomes a loss to us,” shares David.

Hearse Driver

Joseph Noel - Mbagala Rangitatu, Dar es Salaam

Hearse driver, Joseph Noel emphasises that their services are a form of support for the grieving, not just as business in which many people share.

“You know, when people refer to this job, they often make a mistake because this is a service we provide for the bereaved and for which we are compensated. I have been working in this field since 2022. I have transported around 500 deceased, so I don’t think the stigma around people will affect the career of my choice so far,” he shares

Narrating about the stigma he faces on how he earns his money, John shares that as long as the spoon enters the mouth, the rest is just noise.

“There are some people who can barely stand the thought of even having a meal with me because they are scared of their own perceptions of the deceased that I have carried,” he shares.

Making a living through death may seem unconventional, but these dedicated professionals view it as a calling—a chance to provide comfort, preserve memories, and contribute to the healing process as societal attitudes towards death evolve.