In January 1998 six year old Ryan Hreljac sat in a Canadian classroom and grew more and more distressed as his schoolteacher described the sad situation of children living in Africa with little access to medicine, food or clean water.

Ryan decided he would do something about it. $C70 would pay for a well and he determined to raise the money. His parents , initially turned down his request for the money. “You don’t understand” Ryan cried, “Children are dying because they don’t have clean water!” Ryan’s mum and dad agreed to pay him $2 for every additional chore he performed. So he set about cleaning (2 hours worth earned him $2), washing windows, picking up pine cones and more. Within three months he had raised enough for a well.

His mother, impressed by his hard work, arranged for him to present the money direct to WaterCan, a nonprofit organisation that funds well building in developing countries.

When presenting the money Ryan learned that although $70 would buy a hand pump it actually cost $2000 to drill a well. 6 year old Ryan’s response? “I’ll just do more chores then.”

Given the Canadian International Development Agency matched WaterCan’s funds two for one, Ryan needed to raise $700 to get that well. Ryan’s parents wanted to encourage him. They emailed all their family and friends telling them about Ryan’s project. An article on Ryan and his project was printed in the town paper. Donations came in and Ryan continued doing his chores. By August Ryan had raised the required $700.

In recogition of his achievement Ryan, by now turned 7, was invited to a WaterCan Board meeting to hear a Ugandan director of Aid and Development speak. The Director hugged Ryan, thanking him for his well. He then went on to describe how so many places needed wells, yet the process of digging was very slow. With a hand auger it took 20 people digging for 10 days. How good it would be if they could buy a portable motorised drill. But it would cost $25000.

“I’ll raise the money for that drill” said Ryan. “I want everyone in Africa to have clean water.” And so Ryan, with some help from mum and dad set about the task. He needed to raise around $8000, with the Canadian Government committed to a 2 for1 matching contribution. The Ottawa Citizen newspaper printed an article about Ryan which was rerun in newspapers across Canada. A local TV station interviewed Ryan. Donations started to flow in. Ryan responded to each with a thank you note. He spent hours hand-printing letters, seeking donations from business. His schoolmates started a contribution fund. By November 1999 the required amount had been received. The Ugandan Aid and Development agency got their portable drill.

Ryan’s neighbour, impressed by his effort, donated his frequent flyer points to enable Ryan and his mother to travel to Uganda to see the well he had originally raised money for. When he arrived, in July 2000 he was greeted by 5000 cheering children and the village elders of Angolo, the town in which the well was built. They took him to the well which had a message at its base: “Ryan’s Well: Formed by Ryan Hreljac For Community of Angolo Primary School”. For these people water was life, and they spent the day feasting and dancing in honour of Ryan.

Ryan Hreljac reminds us of the impact we can have when we respond to the needs of others with compassion and determine to actually do something. His story is also a reminder that though we may not be able to change the world we can change a part of it for good.

Source: reported in Readers Digest, July 2001.