For a long time, funerals were sad occasions where many people congregated to bid farewell to a loved one and some vigils would take days. But in a bid to mitigate possible risks of spreading COVID-19, the government has banned gatherings at funerals of more than 20 people. This was witnessed recently during the DJ Millers (Virgil Karuhanga) funeral ceremony on Wednesday, April 8, at Rusororo Cemetery after he succumbed to a stroke on Sunday, April 6, at King Faisal Hospital. In life, the famous disc jockey was a very social person, “who never spent a moment by himself”. But the memorial service commemorating him had only 20 people in line with the new guidelines despite his popularity. With the limited number of people allowed to attend the somber ceremony, the burial was streamed online. The video attracted more than 13,000 viewers including friends and family of the deceased, with several viewers sending messages of sympathy. Some tech players have transitioned the funeral industry’s services as they can now offer broadcasting and live streaming platforms to keep the mourning families together during this era of social distancing. While the experience at DJ Miller’s funeral is quickly becoming the new norm, to help curb the spread of the coronavirus across the country, a number of cemeteries have issued orders and regulations concerning funeral services, and banned gatherings of more than 10-20 people. Emmy Nsengiyumva, who operates the You tube channel on Inyarwanda.com, a local online news website says the transition offers a broader platform for people who want to take part in the ceremony. For instance, we had over 35000 views of people taking part in the burial. These are people who do not only live in Rwanda but also overseas. So it means that, sometimes people will also no longer be required to travel from countries to other countries, for a service which can be provided online. Therefore families can still mourn their loved ones while they keep themselves and the larger community safe. On the other hand, however, Nsengiyumva is of the view that such digital technologies face internet challenges. “For people to be able to watch live from their respective homes, there is need for better internet connection” Eric Muneza, is a tech enthusiast who is also one of the team members who were behind the live streaming of DJ Miller’s burial said that “In regards to keeping the larger community safe, memorial and funeral services have changed in subtle but important ways.” Pointing out that, “Although logistics are always not normal in this era they would continue to work with families to give their best send-off, possible during this fraught time.” An official from the Ministry of Local Government also added that there is no problem of mourning the deceased. “But the real problem is in the memorial gatherings. As they are at a risk of infecting each other with COVID-19 if amassed in large numbers.” Funeral staff are working hard to come up with new creative offerings that can help families to comply with the rules and changes brought on by this unprecedented event. Rwanda has so far recorded 118 positive coronavirus cases. Out of the total cases recorded 7 patients have fully recovered from the pandemic and no death has been recorded so far.
