African countries were colonized for years and years, through their bravery and resilience fought and eventually retained control of their countries. But it seems as if the fight is not even close to being over. Africans still have their own internal issues that need to be addressed and dealt with. Don’t get me wrong I respect culture and tradition, but I have and will always have a problem with harmful cultural and traditional practices and honestly I don’t think they should still be accepted in our society.
I am still saddened and disgusted that in some parts of Africa particularly Malawi, men referred to as “Hyenas” are paid to have sex with young girls as part of their initiation. The ritual is believed to train them to become good wives and protect them from disease or misfortune that could fall on their families or their villages. It is understood that their parents and communities are also in on this sinister acts hence these young girls do not have a choice but to go through with the initiation. One of the elders from the community said to the BBC “If you look at today’s society, you can see that girls are not responsible, so we have to train our girls in a good manner in the village, so that they don’t go astray, are good wives so that the husband is satisfied, and so that nothing bad happens to their families.”
The girls are as young as 12 years old. And as soon as they had their first period are sent to the initiation school, trained to be wives and when they complete the initiation they must have sex with a man who is on his 40s for 3 days continuously. The man spoke to BBC and said in the morning the girls normally thank him for his performance and they would prepare water for him to bath just like married couples. What do girls as young as 12 years old know about what married couples do? Besides the fact that he is on his 40s and sleeping with teenagers, he is also HIV positive. So the practice puts young girls at risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV. He said that he already slept with more than a 100 young women ever since he started, now imagine how many of these fell pregnant, got STDs and also deliberately got infected with HIV??? He said that the ancestors are against them using protection, so you know what that means right? Let me just remind you that practice was initially introduced to avoid diseases and infections to the families and the communities at large. For me it’s not about him using condoms or not spreading the disease, I am disgusted that the practice is happens in the first place.
To the women who went through this disgusting pedophilic initiation, the mothers to this young girls and the women around those villages.
I am so disappointed that you know the trauma of going through this initiation but still allowed for someone else to go through the same trauma. I am so disappointed that your first priority is not to love and protect this young girls. I am so disappointed that you allowed this young girls to get raped. I am so disappointed that your priority for this girls is not education but to please a man. How cruel can you be that you took away their teenage years by turning them into women at a young age. How cruel can you be that you gave away your girls in the first place???
To the government of Malawi
I know that you ordered the arrest of one of the “Hyenas” and luckily a video of him confessing to these crimes is there, so I hope he will go to jail for the longest time. But I think I am allowed to say that you took your time, you took years to act against this practice. Honestly I feel like you didn’t have to wait for an American media company to interview one of the “Hyenas” in order for you to act. You have been aware of this despicable act for the longest time. And you what makes me sad now is the fact that as the government you will not be able to condemn this practice, but will give them information that they need to change their rituals. I feel like educating them and giving them information is something you should have done years ago. You could have saved a lot of girls from the abuse, so much damage is done already. So act quickly and end this practice once and for all and deal harshly with everyone taking part in it, from the parents the communities and the hyenas.
To the girls and boys of Malawi
You are not alone, the world is keeping a close eye on your government and monitoring the process with hopes that this practice will end soon. But please don’t rely on the government. I say stand together as one. Fight for your freedom. It is rightfully yours, fight for it with everything you have. The girls that are not born yet, rely on you and your resilience, your dedication, and your commitment to this fight. You are the generation that will be free, only if you take a stand and say that “we are the stop station, this is enough and this is where it ends”
To the Hyenas
I don’t have much to say to you but that go to hell and I hope you pay for your sins!!
Article By Pamela Kunene
