Middle East & Africa | No woman, no cry

An entrepreneur brings professional grieving to eastern Congo

There is money to be made in the mourning business

|GOMA

DEBORAH NZIGIRE, a 65-year-old Congolese woman, is nervous when she sits down for her job interview. Her hands are clasped tightly together, her words are slow and deliberate; she is blinking too much. “What inspired you to pursue this career?” asks one of the two people on the interview panel. Her answer is garbled, she mentions money. When asked to give a demonstration, she giggles awkwardly and leaves the room. She comes back in crying.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “No woman, no cry”

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