There are NO virgins in Malawi

 In some remote southern region of Malawi there is a tradition, yes a tradition where girls are made to have sex with a paid man known as a ‘’hyena’’ after they experience their first menstruation: at puberty. Should I come back?

The reason given for this, according to BBC radio, is that the practice is a form of “cleansing” but not rape. The hyena is a man literally hired by the community to provide the sexual ‘cleansing’ services. The man is paid between ksh. 400 and ksh. 600 This is not only confned to young girls but also to widows before their departed husbands are buried and to women who have had abortions too. 

It’s ardently believed that if the girls refuse the ‘cleansing’, disease and or some disastrous misfortunes could befall their families or the entire village. I come to learn that they are women who are custodians of this barbaric, to lack a better word, practice in the community. The parents of the girls voluntarily organize for the ritual. They visit the hyenas homestead with baskets full of traditional foods. The girl will then be expected to stay at the hyenas place for two to three days.

According to the custom, sex with the hyena must not be protected by it be by using a condom or any other means. The hyena is claimed to be picked for his good morals and therefore cannot be infected by any STDs. 

This clearly goes against the common belief in most cultures that virginity is a highly regarded aspect of any lady before marriage. A sign of purity and chastity.