In Ivory Coast, death is a significant event that warrants a grand farewell. Funerals are an integral part of the country's culture, where families are expected to bid a sumptuous goodbye to their loved ones. The tradition demands that families host massive, music-fuelled feasts that are tinged with moments of both joy and sadness. This cultural expectation has made death a big business in the country, with many families going to great lengths to honour their deceased loved ones.
Valerie Bli Lou, a 60-year-old shopkeeper from a modest family in Ivory Coast, is determined to give her late father a lavish funeral, despite the financial burden. She has already spent over $4,275 on her father's funeral rites, which is more than 15 times the average monthly salary in the country. The expenses include buying three cows, transporting the coffin to a cemetery 500 kilometres away, building a tomb, and hosting and feeding hundreds of guests at the burial.
The financial burden of funerals in Ivory Coast is significant, with many families struggling to cover the costs. Bli Lou, who is Christian, said she was proud to be covering the expense, despite the difficulty. She had to pay to preserve her father's body in a morgue at a rate of about $12 a day while she gathered the necessary funds with the help of family and friends. The importance of funeral rites has given rise to a booming industry in the country, with stores offering coffins, funeral clothing, artificial flowers, headstones, jewellery, and scents for perfuming the dead.
The funeral industry in Ivory Coast is thriving, with many people making a living from it. Gertrude Brou has worked in the industry for 15 years, selling funeral articles and dressing the dead. Her colleague Georges agreed, saying he had built his house and sent his children to study abroad thanks to his funeral parlour. The industry provides a vital service to families, who are expected to honour their deceased loved ones with a lavish funeral.
Funerals are so important in some Ivorian communities that they unleash competition and rivalries between families. Anthropologist Leo Montaz, who has studied the subject, said that some families even get into debt to come up with the money for a lavish funeral. For Muslims, Ivory Coast's other major faith, funerals must be organised more quickly, but the multiple ceremonies involved are still often expensive.
The cultural significance of funerals in Ivory Coast is evident in the way families go about organising them. Families often have to reserve weeks in advance for a funeral venue, and the events are a mix of tears and music, embraces and dancing. On a recent Saturday night, four wakes were held at a vast centre in Yopougon, with crowds of mourners converging to pay their respects to their loved ones.
The importance of funeral rites in Ivory Coast has led to a situation where death is a significant business. While some families struggle to cover the costs, others see it as an opportunity to make a living. As the industry continues to thrive, it remains to be seen how families will cope with the financial burden of honouring their deceased loved ones.
Key points
- Families in Ivory Coast are expected to hold lavish funerals, which has given rise to a booming industry.
- The financial burden of funerals in Ivory Coast is significant, with many families struggling to cover the costs.
- The funeral industry in Ivory Coast provides a vital service to families, who are expected to honour their deceased loved ones with a lavish funeral.
