Africa-Press – Malawi. <\/strong> <\/span>In the city of Bunya, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, carpenter Djo Limayo no longer has to wait long for customers. Since the resurgence of Ebola, his workshop has been busy producing coffins at an unprecedented rate.<\/p>\nJust a few months ago, Limayo sold about 15 coffins a month, but the outbreak of the Ebola virus that hit the city since May has increased his sales to around 80 coffins monthly, also driven by a contract he received to supply coffins to a local morgue.<\/p>\n
Limayo is not alone in this scene, as more than 12 carpentry workshops line the streets of Bunya, and it seems that coffin production has become the most prominent activity amid rising death tolls due to the epidemic.<\/p>\n
The Fastest Spread<\/b><\/p>\n
The boom in the coffin trade comes at a time when Congo is facing an Ebola outbreak described as the fastest-growing in the country’s history, amid fears that it could become the worst ever.<\/p>\n
As of Saturday, Congolese authorities reported 6,041 confirmed cases and 2,911 confirmed deaths, while witnesses noted that the number of coffins displayed in the streets of Bunya was higher during the first weeks of the outbreak, when the death toll sharply increased.<\/p>\n
Despite this, the city has not completely lost its usual hustle and bustle, as small businesses continue to thrive along the roads, and one university held a graduation ceremony over the weekend, reflecting the residents’ attempts to continue their daily lives under the weight of the epidemic.<\/p>\n
A Trade That Doesn\u2019t Wait for Customers<\/b><\/p>\n
For Limayo, the process of making a coffin begins at the lumber market on the other side of the city, where he heads every few days on his motorcycle to buy wooden planks, which are then transported to his workshop by truck.<\/p>\n
There, he works with a group of trainees to spread and smooth the wood using power tools, but work comes to a complete halt when it rains, as the wires stretched through the mud become a real danger for electric shock in the open workshop.<\/p>\n
However, requests for coffin purchases do not come on a predictable schedule. Several carpenters say that families usually reach out to them in a hurry, often on the same day a family member passes away.<\/p>\n
The purchasing process is brief; family members arrive on motorcycles and quickly choose a coffin, often based on price, before workers wrap it in plastic and secure it with rubber bands on the back of the motorcycle.<\/p>\n
Despite being tightly secured, the coffin remains protruding and unstable on either side of the motorcycle, a scene that has become familiar in the streets of Bunya as the outbreak continues.<\/p>\n
Burial as Part of the Battle Against the Epidemic<\/b><\/p>\n
However, the increased demand for coffins is not solely a direct result of rising deaths; coffin makers find themselves at the heart of a health dilemma regarding how to bury Ebola victims without transmitting the virus to their family members.<\/p>\n
Medical experts confirm that safe burial is a crucial step in reducing the spread of the virus, as the body of someone who has died from Ebola can still transmit the infection, while touching the body before burial is part of the traditions of some families in parts of Congo.<\/p>\n
Relief organizations, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, provide special bags for bodies before they are placed in coffins, and humanitarian workers are working to convince families not to open them after sealing.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s the Final Journey”<\/b><\/p>\n
Like Limayo, other carpenters have witnessed a rise in demand. Felix Muzinga, who runs the “Shi Felix” workshop, stated that coffin sales have increased by about 50% since the outbreak began, even though he does not have a government contract to supply them.<\/p>\n
Coffin prices start from several hundred dollars, making death a significant financial burden for many Congolese families, even when choosing the cheaper types made from light-colored local wood.<\/p>\n
However, Muzinga says that most families feel compelled to buy a coffin regardless of their financial situation, adding: “Even if the person is poor, they want a fancy and decorated coffin… it\u2019s the final journey.”<\/p>\n
Find more news and analyses on Malawi<\/span> on the Africa Press<\/span> website<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Azeddine Dargham Africa-Press – Malawi. In the city of Bunya, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, carpenter Djo Limayo no longer has to wait long for customers. Since the resurgence of Ebola, his workshop has been busy producing coffins at an unprecedented rate. Just a few months ago, Limayo sold about 15 coffins a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":78044,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,9],"tags":[234],"class_list":["post-78045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-miscellaneous","tag-malawi"],"yoast_head":"\n
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