Featured Image Credit: BBC
An HIV-Positive man has revealed to the BBC that he is regularly being paid £3 to have sex with children by their families.
Eric Aniva, a Malawian who is in his 40s, is what's known as a 'hyena' - a man paid to have sex with young girls as a form of ritual cleansing, the Sun has reported.
Sexual cleansing involving 'hyenas' is common practice in southern Malawi. Women are told to participate in the act at various important points in their life, including if their husband has died or if they have an abortion.
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Eric openly admits he is HIV-positive, apart from when families approach him for his services when he keeps his illness to himself.
Sickeningly, young girls are sent to 'initiation camps' by their families before reaching puberty. At these camps they are 'taught' how to have sex. Then they are forced to have sex over three days after their first period. This is done so as to 'avoid infection with their parents or the rest of the community'.
In spite of Eric being HIV-Positive, no thought is given to the children's health concerns. Tradition dictates that condoms are prohibited, and it's believed that the 'hyenas' are disease-free due to their 'good morals'.
Image Credit: BBC
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In an interview with the BBC, Eric, from Nsanje in southern Malawi, explained that he became a 'hyena' 1995 and has slept with over 100 girls and women - with five children having being born as a result of his sexual activity.
He said: "Most of those I have slept with are girls, school-going girls.
"Some girls are just 12 or 13 years old, but I prefer them older. All these girls find pleasure in having me as their hyena. They are proud and tell other people that this man is a real man, he knows how to please a woman."
Image Credit: BBC
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The government is officially against they practice, though it stops short of completely condemning it.
Dr May Shaba, permanent secretary of the Malawian Government's Ministry of Gender and Welfare, explained: "We are not going to condemn these people. But we are going to give them information that they need to change their rituals."
Chrissie, a community elder who arranges the initiation camps, told the BBC: "There's nothing wrong with our culture.
"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."
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I hope this ends as soon as possible.
Words by James Dawson