Rwandan Native Dubbed 'Jungle Boy' Gets Financial Aid Through Crowdfunding

A 21-year-old man, who spends most of his time in a jungle in Rwanda and is often called "ape" by people in their village, is getting financial support through a crowdfunding campaign.

Zanziman Ellie, 21, was bullied throughout his childhood for his peculiar features caused by microcephaly, a condition where a baby's head is much smaller than expected. This condition has rendered him non-verbal since childhood.

Afrimax TV set up a GoFundMe page for him, collecting over $4,430. "Let's help this single mother to raise this child since she's unemployed which makes the family-run out of food and forces this young boy to go to the forest and eat grass. Let's contribute and save this boy and his mother's life," the page read.

Ellie's mother said she knew her son would be different immediately after birth because he had an abnormally small head and unusual facial features. In an interview with Afrimax TV, his mother also shared how she had lost five children before Ellie was born.

Because of his disabilities, Ellie is not capable of speaking or properly communicating with other people and has never been to school. He is also a victim of bullying in their village.

According to Ellie's mother, he feeds on grass and she often has to chase after him every evening to bring him home, as he spends all day running through the jungle for hours on end. Sometimes Ellie covers up to 230 kilometers in a week. "He moves so swiftly that sometimes I can't find him. Now, it took three hours to find him from the jungle," his mother said in the interview, during which a video showing children chasing after Ellie can be seen.

Although she has managed to care for her son all these years, her circumstances have worsened now that she is finding it difficult to feed her family.

As the family hopes help would come, his GoFundMe page has generated a good response. "Your story touched me, so much so that this is the first time I've ever donated to a go fund me [sic] page. I hope my contribution helps towards making a difference," a donor commented.