Simon Fidelis Luyenga

Photographer/UPPA

simonfidel.com

Life and Death

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School: Market Photoworkshop VII Academy

Public Project

Life and Death

Copyright Simon Fidelis Luyenga 2025

Updated Jun 2025

Location Tanzania

Topics Celebrations, Christianity, Community, Essays, Faith, Family, Fear, Friends + Family, Loss, Photography, Spirituality

Death, in its undeniable finality, forces us to confront the ephemeral nature of existence. Yet, in many cultures, particularly those with deep spiritual roots like Tanzania, it is not merely an end but a transition, a return to the earth from which we came. This perspective inherently embodies a form of ecological sustainability. The body, once a vessel of life, is returned to the natural cycle, its components reabsorbed, contributing to the very soil that nourishes new growth. This contrasts sharply with resource-intensive burial practices that can strain land resources and involve materials that are not biodegradable.

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