Carpenters in Bunia See Business Boom as Ebola Outbreak Drives Demand for Coffins

Surrounded by a cloud of sawdust and the high-pitched whine of a buzz saw, Djo Limayo, a carpenter in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was hard at work building another coffin.

Business has been steady for Mr. Limayo since an Ebola outbreak struck the city of Bunia in May. More than a dozen carpentry workshops line the streets, with all of them appearing to focus primarily on coffin making.

Before the outbreak, he said he sold roughly 15 coffins a month. Since then, that number has climbed to 80 coffins a month, partly because he secured a supply contract from a local morgue. Other coffin makers reported smaller increases, but all confirmed a notable lift in monthly sales.

Every few days, Mr. Limayo said, he rides his motorbike to a lumber yard on a dirt street on the other side of the city to purchase planks of wood. Once delivered by truck, he and a team of apprentices saw and then plane the lumber to size using power tools.

Bunia’s streets have lost none of their bustle since the outbreak began. Carpentry workshops are just some of a slew of small businesses lining the roads. A local university even held a graduation ceremony over the weekend.

Witnesses noted that more coffins were on display during the early weeks of the outbreak, when Ebola deaths were soaring. The current outbreak in Congo is the fastest-growing on record and threatens to become the worst in history. As of Saturday, the Congolese government reported 6,041 confirmed cases and 2,911 confirmed deaths.

Several carpenters said in interviews that the purchase of a coffin was almost always unplanned, done in haste by a family, often on the very day a loved one died. The interactions with clients are typically brief, Mr. Limayo explained. They arrive on motorbikes, make a quick decision, and frequently base their choice on price alone.

While several coffin makers said they believed they were providing a necessary public service, the virus has placed them at the center of a debate over how to safely bury Ebola victims without infecting family members.

Medical experts emphasize that safe burial practices are critical to stopping the virus, as individuals who have died of Ebola remain highly infectious. However, touching a body before interment is a deeply rooted tradition for some families in parts of Congo.

Aid agencies, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, provide specialized bags in which corpses can be placed safely before being placed into coffins. Humanitarian workers then take the time to speak with families about the importance of keeping the coffins sealed.

Recently, two men arrived at Mr. Limayo’s workshop to purchase a coffin for Aimerance Katungu, 27, who had died two days earlier after being admitted to a hospital in Bunia.

The men bought a white coffin with imitation gold accents, one of the most affordable options, and balanced it on a motorbike taxi. The coffin featured a darkened glass window through which family members could peer inside.

The body was safely buried and the coffin was not opened, despite threats from young men in the crowd, the health workers reported later.

Felix Muzinga, who runs the Chez Felix carpentry workshop, said he had seen an increase in coffin sales of around 50 percent since the outbreak began, even though he does not hold a government supply contract.

With starting prices at several hundred dollars, a death represents a significant expense for Congolese families, even when opting for cheaper coffins made from a pale local wood. Even so, Mr. Muzinga said that almost every family feels compelled to make the purchase.

“Even if someone is poor, they want a luxurious coffin that has been decorated,” he said. “It’s the last walk.”

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