The “Soulbag” is a concept that will help people deal with their grief over the loss of family and friends in the aftermath of a disaster.

The concept is strongly inspired by the devastating impact of the tsunami in South East Asia in 2004, and the enormous number of deaths, estimated to be more than 100.000. As heat, moisture and a fast decay of dead bodies enhance the spread of diseases, the first priority of damage control, in the tsunami of 2004, was to remove the dead bodies as fast as possible. Removal happened in body bags and burial occurred in mass graves, worsening the difficulties in find out whether missed persons were alive or dead and eliminating the possibility to say farewell to those passed. The traditional ritual of the funeral that helps to deal with the loss of a person is lost in the anonymity of mass funerals and monuments erected after the event.

The concept of the “Soulbag” personalizes loss and offers comfort. When a dead body is put into a body bag, something personal from the person is saved, jewelery, hair, a piece of garment, and is put into a small, transparent, plastic bag. These plastic pockets can either be given to a related person, or many pockets can be placed together to form a memorial.