Breaking barriers: Kisumu women redefine the coffin-making trade

It's a trade many would rather avoid. But in Kisumu, two women have chosen to defy the odds, stepping into a world dominated by men and shadowed by taboo.

Citizen TV reports on the women breaking gender barriers and rewriting the script on survival in unlikely places.

It’s a typical morning at a workshop next to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga morgue. Thirty-year-old Maureen Anyango is already at work, her dusty hands moving swiftly and steadily in a rhythm perfected by time.

For the past three years, this mother of two has been a coffin maker — a far cry from her previous job as a waitress, a role that barely met her family’s needs.

The switch was unexpected, even shocking to those around her, but for Maureen, it was a matter of survival.

“They say, ‘Maureen, you must be wishing for people to die so you can earn from this job.’ But I say no — that’s not true,” said Maureen Anyango.

Inside the workshop, 21-year-old Penina Atieno stitches away with quiet focus. For the past year, this has been her daily routine — crafting the padding that lines the inside of coffins.

It’s a job many shy away from, but for Penina, it’s a stepping stone. Her determination to return to school fuels her — one stitch at a time.

“I used to dream of dead bodies. But I decided even if I dream, I’ll keep sewing so I can go back to school. That’s how I earn a little — even now, my certificate is still being held at school,” said Penina.

Maureen and Penina are the only women at the workshop. Their male colleagues often lend a helping hand, especially for the tougher jobs.

“Sometimes, a customer shows up with the body already in the morgue and wants us to go take measurements before making the coffin. And if it’s a big body, you have to go with a tape measure. We tell the ladies here, it's normal — you’ll have scary dreams the first time, but you get used to it,” said John Odero, a fellow coffin maker.

As Maureen applies a coat of paint to a coffin, her face is speckled with dust — but her eyes remain fixed on her work.

The thin film of dust hides neither her focus nor her grit. Behind it is a woman driven by a single goal: to provide for her family.

“There’s no such thing as a man’s job or a woman’s job — as long as we’re all hustling a little. When we get home in the evening, if you have a husband, you both contribute — he brings the flour, you add what you can, and life moves on,” said Maureen.