John Nyongesa is the founder and CEO of Safiri Salama, a start-up offering a simple way to announce a death, grieve and plan a funeral in a way that is distant but not isolated.
He had the idea all along but actualized it during the COVID-19 pandemic when meetings and gatherings were barred by the government.
Nyongesa also came up with the project to preserve his father’s prosperity.
Here is his story as told by WoK.
Background
Nyongesa lost his dad in 2003 when his son was just four years old.
According to his message on the SafiriSalama website, by 2018, his son had no idea how his grandfather looked like.
This reality triggered him to come up with a memorial website that people can upload information of their loved ones even if they are long gone.
The start-up was established in 2018 and it was not long before the COVID-19 pandemic came along changing the nature people held funerals.
SafiriSalama has two products; death notices and memorials.
The death notices enable the creation of affordable digital death announcements that can be shared across social media platforms.
A death notice costs Ksh 1,950.
Memorial services on the other hand shows one’s funeral process, preserving memories and narratives collected through obituaries and eulogies.
They have two packages for this; Basic going for Ksh 2,950 and Premium at Ksh 5,950.
Every tribute memorial page displays the deceased’s profile picture and the About page which lists important information about that person, their family, and their life milestones.
Users can post up-to-date information on the noticeboard regarding funeral arrangements, and a gallery showcases photos and videos.
The Tribute section is where friends and relatives can Tell a Story, Lay a virtual flower, or Light a virtual candle.
Users also have an option of customizing the page background or add some music.
“We understand the stress and urgency associated with funeral planning. With expanded offerings and a multitude of vendors, who do you trust to deliver professional, compassionate services?
“Finding the right people requires hours of research, at a time when your mind and heart are elsewhere,” Nyongesa said.
SafiriSalama also has a platform dubbed, The RedBook, which allows service providers in the funeral industry to reach their clients.
“Vendors can subscribe to showcase products, pricing, stock availability, and be search engine discoverable,” he said.
The start-up has has so far raised Sh12,520,000.
