Beira, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Oct, 2024) In a dilapidated building in 's Ocean city of , a dozen men work away at handcrafting humble coffins wooden pallets discarded by cargo ships that dock at its huge port. Sawdust floats in the air and the sound of hammering fills the workshop where the only electric equipment -- a makeshift saw and a drill -- buzz intermittently as the pallets are repurposed with basic carpentry techniques. The coffins produced in this downtown funeral parlour are cheaper than others on the , a service for residents buckling under hikes in the of living which have made dealing with death more expensive too.
An old, rusted sawmill stands unused in the corner, covered in dust and cobwebs, a relic of a time when the economy of the city 700 kilometres (435 miles) northeast of the capital was more robust. The building -- worn and weathered -- dates back to before in 1975, standing as a testament to the resilience of its owner, 56-year-old Amelia Armando Machava. Machava started the funeral parlour in 1998 with the help of a single municipal carpenter who came in only when she could afford to pay.
"In 1998, I transitioned baking to fashion design," Amelia said. But there was not much in tailoring as so many had turned to their sewing machines to make a living. So, "I saved what I could sewing, and that's how I began making coffins.
" Initially, was slow and Machava made only one or two coffins a week. But as locals grew familiar with her .