Stand with a grieving family
Start one shareable link for a funeral, the repatriation of a loved one, or family support after a loss, and let everyone give by mobile money. Every shilling shows on a public ledger the whole family can trust.
About Funeral & Bereavement fundraising in Africa
When a death happens, the burden lands on the family fast, and so do the costs. The mortuary bill grows for every day the body stays in the morgue. There is the casket to choose, transport to carry the body home to the rural home, the ushago, the grave to prepare, food to feed the mourners who come for days, and a stipend to keep the closest relatives standing. In most of our communities one trusted person, often called the funeral committee coordinator, is handed the job of collecting and accounting for the money. That role is sacred and it is heavy. SenteMe was built to make it lighter.
The old way is a WhatsApp group, an M-Pesa or mobile money number pasted again and again, and a notebook of who sent what. It works until someone asks where the money went, and grief turns into suspicion. SenteMe replaces the notebook with one campaign link. You share it once in the family group, the church group, the workmates group, and the village WhatsApp. Contributors send mobile money straight to the campaign. Every contribution and every withdrawal appears on a public running ledger, so the whole family can see the total climb and see exactly what was paid out for the morgue, the casket, or the bus to take mourners home.
This is the spirit of harambee for funerals, the way families have always pulled together, made simple and clear for the mobile money age. It works for a burial down the road and for the hardest case of all, the repatriation of a body from the diaspora, where flights, embalming, and consular paperwork push the figure into the millions and relatives are scattered across countries and currencies. One link reaches all of them.
Creating a campaign is free and contributors never pay anything extra. SenteMe takes a flat 7.5% fee on each contribution, and only at withdrawal, so nothing is deducted while donations are still coming in. You can withdraw in stages as bills fall due, with each payout recorded for everyone to see. The coordinator carries the duty, but no longer carries the doubt. That clarity, in the middle of mourning, is its own kind of comfort. Start a funeral fundraiser, share the link, and let the community do what it has always done, hold the family up.
How to raise money for funeral & bereavement
01
Create the campaign and name the need
Set a clear title and a realistic target. List what the money is for: morgue fees, casket, transport of the body home, the grave, food for mourners, and a family stipend. Honesty about the real cost helps people give with confidence.
02
Choose the coordinator
Pick the person the family trusts to manage the funds, often the funeral committee coordinator. With SenteMe the ledger does the accounting, so this person spends their energy on the family, not on defending a notebook.
03
Share one link everywhere
Post the campaign link in the family WhatsApp group, the church or mosque group, workmates, and the village chat. One link replaces the number you used to paste again and again, and no contribution gets lost in the scroll.
04
Let the ledger build trust
As mobile money comes in, every contribution shows on the public ledger with the running total. Relatives near and far watch the same numbers, which quietly ends the where did the money go arguments before they start.
05
Withdraw as bills fall due
Pay the mortuary, the undertaker, or the transport in stages and record each withdrawal. The 7.5% flat fee applies only at withdrawal, so funds are never trimmed while donations are still arriving.
How to support funeral & bereavement causes
Give by mobile money in a minute
Open the link, enter your amount, and send from the mobile money wallet you already use. There is no app to install and no extra charge added to your gift.
Forward the link, widen the circle
A funeral is carried by many hands. Forward the campaign to your own groups and to relatives abroad. Each share can reach someone who knew the departed and wants to help.
Check the ledger and reassure the family
You can see your contribution land on the public ledger and watch the total grow. If a worried relative asks where the money is going, point them to the same ledger you can see.
Frequently asked questions
How do I raise money for a funeral using mobile money?
Create a free SenteMe campaign, set a target, and describe the costs such as morgue fees, casket, transport home, and food for mourners. Share the single link in your WhatsApp and church groups so people can send mobile money directly. Every contribution shows on a public ledger, and you withdraw to pay bills as they come due.
How much does SenteMe charge for a funeral fundraiser?
Creating a campaign is completely free and contributors pay nothing extra on top of their gift. SenteMe takes a flat 7.5% fee on each contribution, deducted only when you withdraw. Nothing is taken while donations are still coming in, so the total you see building is the real total raised.
Can I raise money to repatriate a body from abroad?
Yes. Repatriation is one of the most expensive losses a family faces, with embalming, air freight, and consular paperwork often running into the millions. One SenteMe link reaches relatives across different countries and currencies, and they can all contribute by mobile money. The running ledger keeps a scattered family looking at the same numbers.
How does the funeral committee coordinator keep the money accountable?
The coordinator no longer needs a notebook of who sent what. SenteMe records every contribution and every withdrawal on a public ledger that the whole family can open at any time. When someone asks where a payment went, the answer is already on the screen, which protects both the funds and the coordinator's name.
Can family members in the diaspora contribute?
Yes. The campaign link works wherever there is a phone, so relatives overseas can give alongside family at home. Because the ledger is public, everyone sees the same total and the same payouts no matter which country they are in. This matters most for repatriation costs, where the diaspora often carries the largest share.
When and how can I withdraw the funds?
You can withdraw in stages as bills fall due, for example paying the mortuary first, then the undertaker, then transport. Each withdrawal is recorded on the ledger so contributors can see exactly what was paid. The flat 7.5% fee applies only at the moment of withdrawal.
Is it appropriate to ask for help with funeral costs?
In our communities, coming together to bury our dead is not begging, it is harambee, the oldest form of mutual support we have. A SenteMe campaign simply organises that giving so no one is asked twice and no contribution is lost. Many families find that sharing the real costs openly brings relief rather than shame.
What costs can a funeral campaign cover?
A campaign can cover the full chain of expenses: morgue or mortuary fees, the casket, transport of the body to the rural home, preparing the grave, burial, food for mourners over several days, and a stipend for the closest bereaved relatives. List these clearly in your campaign so contributors understand exactly what their gift supports.
How do I get a death certificate before the burial?
Death registration is handled by your country's civil registration office, and you will usually need a medical certificate of cause of death first. Requirements differ by country, so check your national registration authority or Huduma-style service centre early, since some payouts and transport permits depend on it. We list official registration and consular pages in the resources below.
Can I keep contributing after the burial for the family's recovery?
Yes. Many coordinators keep the campaign open after the burial to help the family with a stipend, school fees for children left behind, or the cost of a memorial. You can update the campaign description to explain the new purpose so contributors know what they are now supporting.
Example scenarios
What funeral & bereavement fundraising looks like
Hypothetical, composite examples. No real person is named.
A sudden loss in Kisumu
Imagine a family in Kisumu losing a father suddenly. The morgue bill grows daily while relatives gather. The eldest son creates a campaign, lists the casket, the morgue fee, and the bus to take the body to the ushago, and shares the link in three WhatsApp groups. Within days the ledger shows enough to clear the mortuary and bring the body home.
Bringing a son home from abroad
Picture a family in Kampala whose son died working overseas. Repatriation needs embalming, air freight, and embassy paperwork, far beyond what one household can hold. A cousin starts a campaign and shares it with relatives in three countries. The public ledger lets the diaspora and the family at home watch the same total rise until the flights are booked.
Resources for funeral & bereavement
- ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross)
Restoring family links and tracing relatives separated by conflict or disaster, including help locating missing family members after a death.
- Kenya Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs
Consular help for Kenyans abroad, including assistance when a citizen dies overseas and a body must be repatriated home.
- National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Uganda
Uganda's authority for civil registration; start here for the documentation that follows a death.
- Cruse Bereavement Support
Free grief support and a helpline, useful for diaspora families abroad coping with a loss back home.
- Sue Ryder Online Bereavement Community
Free online grief support and a community forum for anyone navigating the loss of a loved one.
- eHospice Africa
News and guidance on palliative and end of life care across Africa, including Kenya and South Africa editions.
- World Health Organization, Palliative Care
Trusted guidance on care and dignity at the end of life, for families supporting a terminally ill relative.