Jovita Oraneli: 'My customers na dead pipo, dis business na cash and carry' - female pallbearer

Di business of making casket and driving deadi bodi for burial no be some tin wey all men fit do den how much more women.

For most part of Africa pipo dey used to dey see men dey make and sell caskets.

Jovita Oraneli na woman wey dey make and sell casket and also involve for burial service.

Most of di pipo wey she dey work with na men - but e no bother her sake of say na wetin she like, na so tell BBC Pidgin.

"All my staff na men including di undertakers", Jovita tok say she dey only involve women wen she need "flower girls."

Burial business na 'cash and carry'

Jovita say coffin business no be business wey pipo dey buy on credit - "you must pay for casket wey you need," she tok.

She say money dey di business well well like oda businesses. Maybe na becos plenty pipo no dey do am sake of fear.

Di female coffin maker add say "e get wen one of my friends wey bin wan give me work wen she hear say I dey do dis business. As at 2014 she tell me say dem go pay me N80,000 per month and I go dey work for office.

"But I tell am say I dey make up to N100,000 for just one business and by di end of di month I dey make about N700,000 as at 2014 wen I just start."

She say loss no dey di business becos pipo dey always die and dem need coffin for burial.

"Coffin get type by type so wen you come my shop you go buy di one wey your money reach. Na cash and carry. No be business wey pesin go come collect goods come tell you im go pay next week.

"We no dey for dat one," she add.

Tradition and female discrimination

Jovita say tradition dey hinder her work sometimes and she don dey used to di discrimination.

She say to drive deadi body no be big deal but pipo dey attach tradition, spiritual matter and gender sentiment too much for her business.

Na either her undertakers dey disregard her or traditional title holders dey look down on her.

"Sometimes wen we go event and I tell my undertakers how I want make we do, wen we reach dia dem go do wetin dem like.

"Anoda matter na say some chiefs no dey like make I drive dia fellow chief for ambulance. Dem go say na taboo.

"Wen I insist and my car come break down dem go say na spiritual problem say shebi dem warn me. Meanwhile na just mechanical fault happun to di car.

"All those tins dey pain me well well," she tok.

In-Laws and fear of death

Jovita also say her in-laws bin criticise her sake of di work she dey do.

She say her husband pipo and friends bin try to discourage dia marriage.

"Dem tell my husband say na me go kill am."

She say e take some time before her in-laws accept say wetin she dey do na legal business without any spiritual implication.

"My in-laws ask my husband wia e see me. Dem say why e no see 'normal' women wey dey do normal business, e come go bring pesin wey dey sell casket.

"Na as I spend time with dem dem realise say wetin I dey do dey genuine.

"No be me kill di pipo wey dey die. Wetin I dey do na to sell casket and go my way."

Why she enta di business

Jovita Oraneli, na middle age woman wey from Osumenyi, Nnewi south council area of Anambra State, Southeast Nigeria.

She say she don dey do di business for seven years plus and she go like do am till she die.

Di woman say she learn di business becos her brother agree to teach her di work so she no go begin go find work afta school.

"I start di business for 2014, afta I finish National Youth Service Corps, NYSC.

"I learn di business under my elder brother for two years before encourage me to go start my own.

Nothing dey like 'na man work'

"I be one of di pipo wey believe say no work be man work. Any legal business na everi body work," she tok.

Jovita tok say she be pesin wey like do wetin men dey do becos she no like tins wey too many pipo dey do.

She say "wen you see me and my dressing during event you sef go know say I mean di business well well. And becos I get morale."

"If man fit do am den anybody too fit do am. Na man work I dey like to do and na why I say I must do dis one.

"Wen pipo see me dey drive and display wit my ambulance ambulance dem dey surprise and I like as I dey shock dem. I dey feel proud of myself."

'We no dey pray make pipo die'

Jovita believe say na help she dey render for pipo wey wan do burial.

"Pipo dey also think say we dey do juju but all na lie."

She say no be everi body dey like involve dia sef for burial activity and nobody dey pray make pipo die.

"Wetin we dey do na to help pipo. Instead of pesin deadi body to just dey mortuary dey abi dey abandoned we help dem make coffin wey dem fit afford make dem fit bury dia pesin.

"Wetin I dey do na to pray for my own daily bread and my daily bread na dey come from dis work," she tok.

Jovita Oraneli we be di chairman of Jovitex services say she go train her children for burial business and also encourage oda women to join di business.