Tears for money: who are the professional mourners of Ghana
Some people find it difficult to show emotions when their loved ones die, but crying and mourning are an integral part of funerals in Ghana. How much people cry at someone's funeral shows how much the deceased was respected in society and loved by relatives. Therefore, it is not surprising that some are willing to pay specially trained people to weep at the memorial service.
Ami Dokli is the leader of one of the groups of professional mourners in Ghana. In one of the interviews, the woman said that some people can't cry at the funeral of relatives, so they entrust this matter to professionals. Dockley and the other women in her team are widows who, after their husbands left, decided to work together to help people provide their loved ones with a worthy send-off to the afterlife.
But crying for a stranger is not the easiest thing to do, so mourners charge a fee for their services, which directly depends on the funeral budget. If funerals are expensive, then "tears" will cost more. The client can even choose the" style " of crying: normal crying, crying with a scream, very emotional crying, crying and rolling on the ground.
Professional mourning is just one of the extravagant features in conducting funerals in Ghana. People spend no less, and more often, more money on seeing off their loved ones to another world than on weddings. One funeral organizer said that on average, funerals cost from 15 to 20 thousand dollars and the more mourners at the memorial service, the better. This event is preceded by the installation of giant posters on the streets that inform about the funeral, and the production of a chic coffin.
Among other things, mourners help the family of the deceased to raise more money.
Keywords: Africa | Funeral | Traditions | Ghana | Crying