Desperation led Hadija Yahiya to work in a mortuary where she applied makeup to dead bodies for several years. It was unsettling for her as it affected her mentally, but for her family’s sake, she endured.
The young mum recounted bizarre encounters with dead bodies that made her tremble.
In a poignant tale of resilience, Hadija Yahiya, a young mother of two from Dandora Phase Three, Nairobi, shared her harrowing journey into mortuary work—a path she never envisioned but embraced out of necessity.
Following the tragic death of her brother, the family’s primary breadwinner, Hadija found herself ensnared in dire financial straits.
“My friend, whom I was selling substance to, bailed me out after I spent two days in the police station. The cash bail was KSh 10,000. She was my last hope, as I had no other friend or relative. She asked me if I was willing to do any work as long as it didn’t involve killing people, and I said I was ready and willing. She expressed doubt whether I was really ready, but I told her I was. She told me to look for her the following day,” Hadija said.
In a desperate bid to provide for her ailing mother and children, she resorted to selling illicit substances, a decision that led to her arrest. After spending two days in custody, a friend bailed her out, offering an alternative means to earn a living.
Unaware of what lay ahead, Hadija accompanied her friend to a mortuary, where she was introduced to the task of applying makeup to deceased bodies to prepare them for burial.
Despite initial trepidation, Hadija accepted the work, driven by the pressing needs of her family. She earned KSh 5,000 per body and managed to work on two bodies that day, marking the beginning of her unexpected career path.
Hadija’s story underscores the lengths to which individuals will go to support their families and the unconventional paths they may take when faced with adversity.
Her experience sheds light on the often-overlooked roles that are vital to society yet stigmatized, and it calls attention to the need for broader support systems for those in vulnerable situations.
By tuko