Ann Njoki Mwangangi is a mortician from Nyahururu, Laikipia County.
Mwangangi also runs a TikTok account boasting over 48,000 followers where she shares personal experiences in her line of work.
Recently, the mortician noted that she was inspired to pursue mortician science following the death of her mother.
Here is Mwangangi’s story as told by WoK.
In an interview with Radio Jambo, the mortician disclosed that she lost her mother while in Form Two and she did not grieve the right way.
She explained that she lacked emotional support and someone who would hold her through the grieving process.
“The reason why I decided to become a mortician was because of my own tragedy. I didn’t get to grieve the right way. I was stuck and struggled for a very long time,” he said.
Fortunately, years later, Mwangangi healed and it was then when she decided to study science mortician.
“I really would have liked it if there was someone to hold my hand and take me through the mourning and transition process
“So I said I will help someone else to transition through grief. I never got to experience that. That is what inspired me to be a mortician,” she explained.
Mwangangi also dismissed the narrative that morticians only handle dead bodies, noting that they do more than that.
“People think that morticians only handle dead bodies but we do a lot more and take part in walking with the mourning family through the entire process,” she said.
She also spoke on her work experience, noting that they handle different types of bodies, also noting that slowing down the decomposition of a body is one of her major challenge.
“I’m very sensitive to smell and in my first experience, I was very uncomfortable with the smell and there are things you are not taught at mortuary science,” Mwangangi said.
Adding;
“It is our biggest responsibility. So when someone says nichungie mwili, it means when they are coming to collect we shall have ensured the person looks the same as he was when alive and this brings a lot of closure at the end.”
