Men Boycott Burying Children In Tanzania
For the culture of various places in Tanzania, when a tragedy occurs, men are the ones who lead the funeral, starting from digging of the grave to other various rituals.
Even if women go to cemeteries, according to some beliefs that allow it, they will not be involved in digging graves or entering the grave to bury whether it is a child or an adult, although in some places, young children who were born and died at the same time are buried by women.
However, men living in Namanyere Township, Majimoto Ward, Mlele District, Katavi Region in Tanzania, have boycotted carrying out funeral activities for children who die in that region, alleging that the excessive number of child deaths are caused by women. This means the responsibility of burying is left to women.
The situation has now created confusion, as it has never happened in that neighborhood for funeral activities to be done by women instead of men.
Speaking to John Madirisha, a resident of the region, he said that men have stopped doing funeral activities due to the increase in the number of deaths of children aged between one day to two years.
He also states that the number of deaths has become high and started to make people afraid of these deaths and believe that they are caused by the power of local beliefs.
“We are tired of burying children every day and those who kill them are some women of this neighborhood under the pretext of measles, bury them themselves,” said Madirisha.
Michael Masanja, another resident, explained that the number of deaths has been high in the township, as four to five children die per week.
He has claimed that in the past there was an outbreak of measles, but until now, the deaths have continued, a situation that makes them disagree with those deaths, as they believe there is superstition that continues to be practiced by some women in the neighborhood under the pretext of measles.
The Chairman of Namanyere Township, Teresia Wikula has admitted that it is true that the men of the township have boycotted funeral activities and that these activities are currently being done by women.
He has noted that in a week they have been burying four to five children, a situation that has never happened in that neighborhood.
However, he affirms that the deaths are due to measles and not superstition as men think.
He confirmed that the health officials have been arriving in the neighborhood to educate citizens as well as giving vaccinations, but the response of the citizens has been low.
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