Coffin Workshops. An unwanted reality.
Coffins.
We will all end up in one eventually. Or maybe we’ll be cremated. Some people sooner than others. That’s just the way life is. But I’ve never seen Coffins so prominently displayed as those in Africa.
And I don’t mean the colorful ones that are used to celebrate one’s life, as shown in Going into Darkness: Fantastic Coffins from Africa. Or something slightly humourous such as Do-It-Yourself Coffins: For Pets and People.
You can gauge what the social issues are sometimes when you visit somewhere, simply by looking at some of the signs erected around the place. One of my favourites are the ‘Hijacking Hotspot’ signs situated around Johannesburg in South Africa. Obviously stating the obvious. I’ve seen one at the end of an off-ramp. I didn’t think it was that bad because the ‘Hijacking Hotspot’ sign hadn’t been hijacked yet.
But there is another sign I’ve seen around that unfortunately reflects a sad elemet of African life – deaths. Africa doesn’t have a lot of things – decent infrastructure such as roads, hospitals or barely stable houses. But it seems to have a ton of Coffin Workshops.
Coffin Workshop Picture
I’ve seen heaps of these signs similar to the one below in sub-Saharan Africa. This one was spotted at a service station in Zambia.
Some African countries have an average life expectancy of around 34 years of age – which is less than my age. This is due to high infant mortalities, and also the scurge of HIV/AIDS which can infect up to 25% of the population in some places. So, the Coffin Workshop industry is booming.
One can see these workshops on the side of the road, displaying their Coffins in all sorts of sizes, ranging from infant size to fully grown adult. They are usually lined up meticulously next to each other, showing the fine craftmanship of their carpenters.
Anyway, this is a fact of life in Africa. And a stark one at that.
There’s More to Zambia than Coffin Workshops
Other things to do in Zambia – check out the inspiring Tribal Textiles, and see how women wash clothes.
If you’re interested in how AIDS is tearing Africa apart, see AIDS, Sex, and Culture: Global Politics and Survival in Southern Africa, 28: Stories of AIDS in Africa and When Bodies Remember: Experiences and Politics of AIDS in South Africa.
