Honouring the dead is a ritual in Ghana and a norm of the customary laws that almost no Ghanaian family can afford to ignore. People have gone to extremes, spending very significant amounts to host lavish funerals and burial ceremonies but often at the expense of survivors. Kojo Koomson was almost ruined financially when an unexpected death occurred in his family. The father of two and the first-born son of a family in Accra can’t hide his frustration when he tells his story. A few years ago his father passed away unexpectedly and as the elderly child he had to ensure the old man joined his ancestors gloriously. “That was tough, for I had no money to perform that kind of ceremony that would pass for a befitting burial. But my mum and siblings were all looking up to me”, he says. “I borrowed money, lots of monies from the bank, friends and even at my workplace. I had to bury my father in style, I did, I was happy but in the end I was surrounded by debts”. The cost of Ghanaian funerals Kojo Koomson is one of many who get in financial troubles because of the death of a relative. According to MicroEnsure, a UK-based company that provides life insurance in Ghana, the cost of funerals in the country often runs into thousands of dollars. To make the arrangements, bereaved families have to pull together unavailable resources normally through borrowing. However this means surviving relatives will be left with huge debts, a situation that makes them vulnerable to future hardships. A child for instance may have to drop out of school after a burial because there is no money to pay the fees. In a typical setting, those expenses may include: * Mortuary rent: The body has to be kept at the mortuary until all arrangements are finalised and dates are set for the burial and funeral ceremony. This can take weeks, months or – in the case of chiefs – even years. * The coffin: People often order expensive custom-built caskets which come in different shapes and design. Some are made to symbolise or reflect what profession the deceased was into and can be as extravagant as a microphone-shaped coffin for a musician. * Funeral Cloths: Special cloths, some of which are custom-made with pictures of the deceased, are worn by relatives and friends. The bereaved has to pay for his closer family’s outfit. * Painting the House: The body is kept in the morgue until the house is rehabilitated, fixing it with a new roof and coating the building with a fresh paint. * Accommodation, food and drinks: Bereaved families are expected to host and feed all guests and other members of the extended family. They pays for hotels and hostels. * Funeral homes: These undertakers organize the funeral in behalf of the bereaved. They have become popular for their sophisticated services, which can amount to GHC 2,500. * Entertainment: Entertainers such as musicians, drummers, brass bands and poets feature prominently at Ghanaian funerals. They charge a lot. * Tents, canopies and chairs: Depending on the size of the funeral, hundreds of chairs must be rented along with canopies or tents. Besides the hundrets of guests a lot of people from the vicinity attend uninvited for the free food and drinks. * Funeral announcements: Elaborate announcements are covered across media and also on billboards. The newspapers, radio and television stations as well as artists make fortunes out of this. * Anniversary and other celebrations: A week after the death, family members gather for a celebration, same is done after forty-days. The first anniversary is also celebrated after a year. Food and drinks as well as music and dance feature prominently at these events.