Written By | Our Reporter
Calixte Nzamwita, has lived the past 55 years in complete isolation
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Kigali
A 71-year-old Rwandan man, Calixte Nzamwita, has lived the past 55 years in complete isolation, driven by an overwhelming fear of women that began in his teenage years.
According to a mini-documentary by Afrimax Media, Nzamwita shut himself away at just 16 years old. He built a 15-foot fence around his small, single-room home to prevent any contact with women. Inside the cramped space—his kitchen, bedroom, and toilet all in one—he has spent more than half a century in self-imposed seclusion.
“I locked myself inside my house so that I could keep women at a distance. I don’t want women around me because they make me really scared,” he said.
Despite his fear, women in the community have shown compassion over the decades. They continue to support him by bringing food and other basic necessities, which they toss into his compound from afar to avoid frightening him.
A neighbor explained: “We toss things into his house, and he comes out to pick them. He doesn’t want us close.”
Although not officially recognized in standard psychiatric manuals, observers suggest that Nzamwita could be suffering from gynophobia—an uncommon and severe fear of women.
His unusual life story has sparked widespread discussion about mental health awareness, social support, and the need for accessible psychological care in communities.
Torch Media Africa
