大象传媒

In parts of Malawi, girls who have reached puberty traditionally go through an initiation ceremony which can include something known as the hyena ritual. The hyena is an older man who's brought in to have sex with the girls. The 大象传媒 ran an expose of the practice recently and interviewed a so-called "hyena" who said he was HIV positive. After the programme was broadcast the Malawian president issued a statement through his spokesman, calling it a malpractice and saying that "harmful cultural and traditional practices cannot be accepted in this country". A number of Malawian women contacted the 大象传媒 to say this had happened to them. One of them is fashion designer Natasha Annie Tonthola. She told us that she'd decided to turn a bad experience into something good and has just won international recognition for a rather brilliant invention.

(Picture credit: Eldson Chagara.)