THE real-life ‘Mowgli’ who grew up in a Rwandan jungle to escape cruel bullies has transformed his life and now wears a suit to go to school.

Zanziman Ellie gained support from around the world last year following a documentary about his life which aired in February on YouTube by Afrimax TV.

Ellie was born in 1999 but was almost immediately shunned by the community and faced constant bullying by his peers due to his physical appearance.

He was also denied an education on the basis that he did not have the mental capacity to concentrate in class, and for this reason he was destined to spend his life foraging in the jungle.

In the documentary, Ellie's mother told reporters that due to his appearance, Ellie was the target of bullying in the village his entire life, with his peers often calling him abusive names.

Ellie suffers from microcephaly, a condition where a baby's head is much smaller than expected.

In the wake of the documentary, Afrimax TV set up a GoFundMe page which received a flood of donations from viewers around the world in the hope a new life could be built for Ellie and his mum.

Now the news site Atinkanews reports that the donations have been used to send Ellie to a school for children with special needs at the Ubumwe Community Center.

He now regularly wears a well-fitting suit as he heads to class where he is studying to become an asset to his community, reports Atinkanews.

Ellie's mother said: "God is a miracle worker. He was being ridiculed and I would often run after him. At the moment he is in school with his peers and I am so happy."

What is microcephaly?

Microcephaly is a rare condition that can cause babies to be born with small heads.

The one in several thousand condition can lead to babies having learning difficulties or physical disabilties as they grow up.

There is no test or treatment for microcephaly but it can sometimesx be picked up during scans late on during pregnancy.

It is diagnosed by measuring the baby's head 24 hours after birth.

Microcephaly often affects babies whose mothers contract the Zika virus.

She added: "My son is having a good life, well-wishers have built me a house… my sorrow has been taken away."

Ellie is now something of a celebrity with people constantly stopping him on the street to take a picture with the young man whose life has changed drastically since the documentary was released.

We pay for your stories!

Do you have a story for The Sun news desk?

Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4104. You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. We pay for videos too.

Click here to upload yours.

Click here to get The Sun newspaper delivered for FREE for the next six weeks.

Source: Read Full Article