Zanzimana Ellie is a whole mystery for Rwandans. He is a 21-year-old Rwandan boy unlike other kids of his age, he still can’t speak and enjoys staying in the jungle. His family(Father and Mother) sees him as a divine blessing even though he is considered by locals as a monkey because of his appearance and behaviour.
Living in a small village in Rwanda, Zanzimana Elliebehaves like he is from another era. After facing a lot of hardships in raising a child to adulthood and losing her five children one after the other, the woman revealed she and her husband were desperate for a child. They prayed to God for another child, requesting that even if the child would be abnormal, he/she will not die, they will be grateful to God and will take good care of this blessing. Her prayers got answered and she gave birth to “Zanzimana Ellie”
Apart from his inability to speak, Ellie lacks a brain that can support formal education, though he understands and is helpful to his mother for different chores. He likes living in the jungle and running everywhere all the time if not held.
“I always have to chase after him to bring him home when evening comes,”
His mother even revealed that she feeds him grass like an animal because he likes only fresh food and eats more bananas. She however, finds it difficult to provide for the varieties of fresh food that the boy needs and this accounts for why the boy runs to the bush to feed.
Despite the tough life, Ellie remains his mother’s blessing. She says Ellie came out from birth looking abnormal and doctors warned that she would have trouble raising the child.
The mother says she and her husband didn’t mind raising the child. “Ellie was a tinny baby with a very small head that later grew bigger as he grew up,” says his mom.
“Zanzimana“ will probably live this way for the rest of his life unless a Good Samaritan turns up to train him in line with human life.