When six year old 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, patient-ly 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, increas-ing 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 fol-lowed. 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.

You can watch a documentation video online at http://rw3.ryanswell.ca/downloads/ryanstory.html

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 fulfill this vision. He has been awarded a meritorious service medal by the Governor General of Canada.

At the United Nations' World Summit of Sustainable Development in Johannesburg 2002, 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.

"I'm just a normal boy"

"I'm just a normal boy," Ryan says when anyone asks about his achievements. Although many people would disagree with this statement, it is very true. He plays soccer, basketball and hockey. He enjoys reading, playing Nintendo and swimming as well. He has friends in the elementary school he attends, including dedicated volunteers like Jack who, like Ryan, plans to be a water engineer when he grows up. He loves to visit his Nana and his cousins in Ontario's Niagara region and his Grandparents near Deep River, Ontario. Ryan plays with his brothers Jordan and Keegan and with dog Riley. He has been writing to his African pen pal Jimmy Akana, who you may have seen with him on the cover of Reader's Digest.

Throughout, Ryan's family has been very supportive of his efforts to get clean water to Africa. Older brother Jordan sets up most of Ryan's audiovisual presentations and little brother Keegan has licked hundreds of stamps for thank you letters and notes that have been sent around the world.

Read about Ryan's new brother, Jimmy Akana Hreljac, at http://www.readersdigest.ca/mag/2005/02/jimmy_escape_freedom.html

SCHOOLS ARE WORKING IN SUPPORT OF RYAN'S WELL

One of many school children groups that decided to support Ryan's Well:

"Students at Sathya Sai School are once again busy making a difference. Grade 4 students on their way back from a field trip in Ottawa visited Ryan’s home to deliver a cheque for their awesome fundraising efforts. This generous donation will be used to help support a future well and sanitation project. Staff and students have been long time supporters of Ryan’s dream for clean water in developing countries. Past fundraising efforts have helped support a water point in the Entebe Village, Uganda. This summer Ryan was excited to receive many birthday cards from Sathya Sai students. Thanks to everyone for a continued interest in Ryan’s work and for helping to build a better world!"

But Ryan’s story also inspires students to start their own projects, and gratefully share their success:

"Dear (Ryan's Well), just to update you. The Ryan's Well documentary has been shown to all our 1500 students. We have had 12 half - year level forums over the past two weeks. The video has inspired our students to work at rebuilding a school in Sri Lanka. Nearly all the students are raising money, doing jobs for their parents and neighbours. Some senior students held a car wash last week and another is busking at the local shopping center. Schools in the UK and our local primary schools are joining us. We have already raised enough money to build a classroom and it is our first week…"

(this letter from a Secondary College, Australia is featured on the Ryan’s Well website)

TEACHER'S TOOLS for applying Ryan's example in class to be found on the website of Ryan's Well Foundation: http://www.ryanswell.ca/.

CONTACT: P.O.Box 1120, Kemptville, Ontario, Canada, KOG 1JO. Email ryan@ryanswell.ca

WEBSITE: ryanswell.ca

SOURCE: GlobalNet www.positivenews.org.uk/public_html/globalframeset.html

PHOTOS: © Ryan’s Well Foundation.

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