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Photo Feature: After Ebola, Sierra Leone’s burial workers fear a bleak future

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Ebola burial teams in Sierra Leone are still performing hundreds of precautionary burials each week, even though there haven’t been any cases in a few weeks. Aurelie Marrier d'Unienville/IRIN

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    FREETOWN
    Ebola may almost be over in Sierra Leone, but an estimated 1,400 people still continue to work as 'safe and dignified' burial team members.

    Many have faced stigma for their work: some kicked out of their homes by landlords; others shunned by family and friends afraid of contracting the virus.

    In addition to giving the burial workers jobs and monthly hazard pay, aid agencies have been putting some of them up in temporary accommodation.

    Now, their future is uncertain. If Ebola goes, the jobs and the perks go too. And due to lingering fears about Ebola, many could struggle to find future employment.

    Two burial team members share their stories with IRIN in this photo feature. 

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