Ryan Hreljac heard about the many children in Africa who do not have clean water to drink he decided to do something to help. Ryan, from a small town near Ottawa in Canada, listened as his teacher explained that $70 would provide a well and became determined to raise the money

That night he told his parents that he needed $70. His mother, Susan, said he could do extra chores around the house. Ryan vacuumed, washed windows, and, with amazing determination, patiently worked, saving every dollar in an old cookie tin. It took him from January 1998 to the end of April to collect $70.

Susan took him to Watercan’s office to hand over his donation. Executive Director, Nicole Bosley explained that $70 would only buy a hand pump. It would take $2,000 to drill a well. Undeterred, Ryan replied, “I’ll just do more chores then.”

Nicole told him the Canadian International Development Agency would match Watercan’s contribution 2:1 so Ryan needed to raise $700 for his well. He kept on working and collected donations from school, friends and family. When he had raised the $700, Watercan invited him to meet Gizaw Shibru, director for Uganda at Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief, who actually dug and maintained the wells. Shibru asked Ryan to choose the site for his well. Ryan wanted it to be near a school and they pinpointed Angolo in North Uganda, a village whose closest water was 5 kilometres away. Angolo had also suffered thirteen years of rebel activity, several years of drought and had to contend with AIDS, typhoid and waterborne diseases. One in five children died before the age of five.

Talking with Gizaw Shibru, Ryan discovered that the well would be dug by hand. Wells could be dug much more quickly using mobile drilling equipment costing $25,000, increasing the supply of clean water far faster than at present. Ryan now had a new goal. “I want everyone in Africa to have clean water,” he declared.
Susan set out to help Ryan with this latest challenge. The Ottawa Citizen published an article about Ryan’s Well that generated interest. A TV station took up the story and a number of newspaper articles followed. Cheques began to come in. Ryan’s teacher put a watering can in the classroom for donations and Ryan sold bottled water to raise funds.

Ryan’s teacher arranged for children from his school to be penpals with children in Angolo. Ryan’s penpal Akana Jimmy wrote to him:
Dear Ryan,
My name is Akana Jimmy. I am 8 years old. I like soccer. Our house is made of grass. How is America?
Your friend,
Akana Jimmy.
Ryan wrote back:
Dear Jimmy,
It must be cool to have a house made out of grass. I am 8 now. Do you drink from my well every day? What is your favourite subject in school? I am going to Uganda when I am twelve. My house is made out of bricks.
Write back soon.
Your friend Ryan.

Ryan did not have to wait so long for his visit to Uganda. A neighbour, impressed by Ryan’s dedication, donated some airmiles to the family. The Ottawa Citizen appealed for more airmiles and Watercan also gave some. In July, 2000, Ryan and his parents arrived in Angolo. Ryan looked about in amazement at the 5,000 children lining the route to the school, calling “Ryan, Ryan, Ryan!”

“They know my name!” he cried in astonishment.
“Everybody for a hundred kilometres knows your name, Ryan,” said Shibru.
They arrived at the well next to the school’s vegetable garden. It bore the inscription Ryan’s Well, formed by Ryan Hreljac for Community of Angolo Primary School’. Ryan’s penpal Jimmy led him to cut the ribbon and the celebrations began.

Ryan’s original $70 fundraising has grown to over $750,000 through the Ryan’s Well Foundation, providing clean water and related health services to people in Africa with projects in Nigeria, Tanzania, Malawi and Ethiopia as well as Uganda. By its example, the foundation hopes to inspire present and future leaders of the world to seek and realise their own vision for making the world a better place. Ryan continues to work with his family to fulfil this vision. He has been awarded a meritorious service medal by the Governor General of Canada.

At the Summit, Ryan, now aged 11, was one of UNICEF’s panel of expert speakers on Water Health and Poverty. As a result he has been asked to work on children’s initiatives with the World Health Organisation.
FURTHER INFORMATION : P.O.Box 1120, Kemptville, Ontario, Canada, KOG 1JO
WEB SITE : http://www.ryanswell.ca