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Charities organized by politicians scour poor neighbourhoods in search of families of murder victims who cannot afford funeral services or even a simple casket to bury their beloved.

There are plenty of takers in this Central American country, where two out of three workers earn less than the minimum wage of $300 (R2,500) a month, and more than 136 people are killed each week.

The murder rate has more than doubled over the last six years due largely to an explosion in drug trafficking to the United States and a proliferation of violent gangs, many of which originated in U.S. cities.

The capital, Tegucigalpa, has grown so threatening that its streets empty after sunset, while its morgues fill up.

Without a coffin, morgues are prohibited from releasing a body and instead bury the dead in mass graves. For the grieving family too poor to purchase a casket, that means not just the loss of their loved ones, but no way to honour them either.

That's where the charities come in - three, to be exact, which offer free coffins, and sometimes transportation and refreshments for the bereaved.

The charities are run by three elected officials, two of whom are seeking the presidency next year and a third who is running for mayor of Tegucigalpa. All are members of President Porfirio Lobo's ruling National Party.

One charity, Helping Hand Up, won its congressional funding thanks to the head of the Honduran Congress, Juan Orlando Hernandez, who is running for president.

Like the others, Helping Hand Up insists it is not trading coffins for votes.

It is "just a desire to serve," said Congressman Renan Ineztroza, who manages Helping Hand Up.

The average price for a funeral in Honduras is $1,000 (about R8,000), with coffins at about $125 (that's R1,000).

Melisa Elvir of Democracy Without Borders, a Honduran transparency foundation, said there's a fine line between good works and vote-buying, and in the case of the caskets, the line is too thin.

"The congressmen are running for re-election," she said. "When delivering the goods, they name the politicians who are responsible for the delivery. The charge could be made that they are funds for favours, with the objective of winning votes."

On a recent Friday at the gate of the Tegucigalpa Judicial Morgue, Luis Membreno was oblivious to the coffin politics as he wept over the death of his older brother, 19-year-old Marvin, shot three times in the head earlier that day. Luis did not have the money to bury his sibling, but People's Mortuary did. The charity's Carla Majano offered a free coffin - the charity's 701st giveaway of the year. She regularly works neighbourhoods and morgues to find relatives who need the People's Mortuary's help. The Membreno family qualified.

"This is a humble family that lives on the bottles they collect in the streets," she said. "They don't even have a sheet to wrap the body."

Nilvia Castillo, People's Mortuary manager, said that in its first year, the charity gave away 374 coffins, and now gives double that number for a total of 5,000 in six years.

The programme, according to Castillo, "is part of the political campaign" of Tegucigalpa Mayor Ricardo Alvarez to help the city's poorest neighbourhoods. Alvarez, who founded the charity and is a presidential hopeful for 2013, secured $230,000 in government funding for the programme this year.

Honduras is considered the world's most dangerous country, with 91 murders per 100,000 people, according to the United Nations and the Organization of American States - 20 times the homicide rate in the U.S. The violence permeates all facets of life, leading pedestrians to shun city streets. The poor stick close to home in neighbourhoods ruled by Maras gangs, while the wealthier congregate in American-style, indoor shopping malls with heavily armed guards at the door. At night, motorists typically drive through traffic lights to avoid assaults.

Despite the precautions, thousands of people are murdered every year, creating an outsized demand for coffins and new opportunities to serve the poor.

Funeral home directors complain that the free coffins may be good politics, but they're bad for business.

Jose Gutierrez, who works at the Santa Rita Mortuary, said that the charities are politically motivated, looking for votes. "They only come around before elections and favour people who can vote and come recommended."

At times, the coffin charities compete among themselves.

At the Judicial Morgue the morning Luis waited for his brother's coffin, the relatives of two other murder victims shot that day searched for caskets.

The family of 19-year-old Joseph Jamaco received a coffin from a third charity, run by Congressman Tito Asfura, who hopes to become Tegucigalpa's next mayor.

"Tito Asfura does it better. He doesn't ask questions or ask for documents. He even gives you the gas money and sometimes food," said Felipe Leon, who helped recover Jamaco's body.

Meanwhile, the People's Mortuary collected Marvin Membreno's body from the morgue and trucked it to a church in one of Tegucigalpa's most marginalized neighbourhoods, where Marvin's mother could barely stand for her grief.

Johnny Osorio expressed his condolences on behalf of People's Mortuary and arranged to take the casket to the cemetery the following day. His job, he said, "is humanitarian work. It is painful, it requires great flexibility and respect. It is a ceaseless wake, bathed in tears".

As Jamaco and Membreno were buried, other bodies continued to pile up at the morgue, so many that Public Minister spokesman Marvin Duarte said 25 had to be buried in a mass grave.

"Maybe no one knew they had died, or maybe their families didn't have money," said spokesman Marvin Duarte. "It's the third time we've had to do that this month."

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Comments

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Thu May 23 22:57:56 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 3, 2012

malemaforpresident

One charity, Helping Hand Up, won its congressional funding thanks to the head of the Honduran Congress, Juan Orlando Hernandez, who is running for president. Like the others, Helping Hand Up insists it is not trading coffins for votes.
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Yeah those are Politicians Nxaaa it is obvious they are buying votes what else and taking advantage of the poor bereaved families it is still a practice here in SA where politicians rather leave their comfort zones the likes of Nkandla to sleep in shacks distributing groceries to get some votes once you have voted the into power they disappear into thin air this is more like wiitchcraft

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Oct 3, 2012

Mdeeva

Mare imagine people these poor,they cant even pay for a coffin they have to rely on freebies from charities. It is just sad.Eish this politicians are absurd always making everything about them nxa!!
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Oct 3, 2012

Ga-MAkanye

U cant buy my vote with money, its your responsiblity.
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Oct 3, 2012

AtlegangOratile

At least Mzansi has NOT targetted the poor yet and they are very cheap...........

KFCstreetwise, some fruit and made in China T-shirt.


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Oct 3, 2012

skwamasamabele

AtlegangOratile- I know its difficult for you (non-existent) intellect, but try to stick to the topic.
Some countries are more poorer than SA. Miners should take note
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Oct 3, 2012

AtlegangOratile

@skwamasamabele, Read to understand.

I am saying at least in South Africa the rate/level of poverty is not that bad where politicians canvass votes by targetting beareved families.

During electioneering in South Africa, it's all about KFC, T-shirts, umbrellas, etc......

"Peace out"
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Oct 3, 2012

somaartakeit

so why is this a problem? is this not what the poor voted for? ie for comrades and their families to be rich beyond imagination, even now Zuma expects tax payers to upgrade his house for 203mil so he can sit in his castle and watch the downtrodden as they scratch for left over scraps from the dustbins, but they voted for this shem.
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Oct 3, 2012

somaartakeit

skwamasamabele
AtlegangOratile- I know its difficult for you (non-existent) intellect, but try to stick to the topic.
Some countries are more poorer than SA. Miners should take note
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that's an interesting view from a typical anc suputa, its okay to be poor as long as there are others in the world poorer than you, hence I say these ppl voting these idiots in gov deserve fully what's coming to them.
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