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KIGALI, Rwanda — Teresa, a Rwandan woman who reportedly lived for 123 years without marrying or engaging in sexual relations, has died at the age of 123 after spending her entire life committed to a vow of virginity.
According to accounts from her community in the Musanze area, Teresa was born in 1902 and chose a life of celibacy while many of her contemporaries married and raised families.
Her decision, which she reportedly maintained until her death in 2025, became one of the defining aspects of her life and earned her considerable respect among members of her community.
Rather than pursuing marriage, Teresa devoted much of her life to farming, prayer and community service.
She was said to have assisted the sick, mentored younger women and taught girls traditional skills.
Those close to her described her as a quiet and disciplined woman who believed that a person’s worth was not determined solely by marriage or parenthood.
Teresa also lived through some of the most significant periods in Rwanda’s modern history, including the transition from colonial rule to independence in 1962 and subsequent decades of hardship and national reconstruction.
Community members reportedly remembered her as a regular churchgoer who maintained a simple lifestyle and remained active in her compound well into old age.In her later years, Teresa attributed her longevity to prayer, hard work and maintaining peace with others.
She reportedly never regarded her decision to remain a virgin as a burden, but rather as a personal choice and commitment that gave direction to her life.
Following her death, members of the surrounding communities reportedly gathered to honour her memory, describing her as a woman whose life was defined by discipline, service and steadfastness.
Her story has since become a subject of local reflection, particularly among younger women who knew her as an elder who remained committed to the values she embraced throughout her extraordinary 123-year life.
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