A Sudden Passing

Today we were able to be a part of an African funeral. Unlike America, where the funeral is the day of the burial, Africans have a "funeral" from the time of death until all of the relatives have been able to visit the family of the deceased.

We first went to the market to buy a gift for the family. We spent about 30,000 Kwache (7 dollars). We bought soap, laundry soap, 2 loaves of bread, cooking oil, and a bag of sugar. When we arrived at the house the men were sitting outside. Inside the house we greeted about 15 women and children. They were sitting on the floor and on mattresses, as the rest of the furniture had been removed from the house. The ladies were happy we visited and shared openly about the death and Zambian culture with funerals. They told us the story of how the man died. He went to work on a Thursday and began feeling ill (vomitting). He went to the doctor and by Friday morning he was dead. It was a sudden passing and the family did not know the cause of death. They shared of the financial burdens. Because it was the head of the house that passed, they did not know where they would live. He also took care of many orphans- which they didn't know what to do with. The family who had come from afar did not have the money to travel home. We prayed for the family, but left wishing we could have done more.