Ryan Wells Foundation

While having supper at Bedok 85 one night, my youngest bro told me about his Nepal trip and how his teacher told him a story about a boy named Ryan, who at the age of 6 had a vision of providing clean water to the poorer nations like Uganda, where ppl died from drinking muddy water. I thought it was interesting and decided to check it out...well, I was really put to shame after that. Here's how the story goes:

Ryan's Well Foundation

In 1998, when Ryan Hreljac was in grade one he learned from his teacher, Mrs Prest that people were dying because they didn't have clean water to drink. He also learned that children in a Ugandan village had to walk many kilometers every day just for fresh drinking water. Dismayed, he set out to do enough household chores over a period of 4 months to raise the $70 he figured it would take to drill a well for the village. It turned out the well would cost more like $2,000 to drill – but Ryan was undaunted, and he raised close to $3,000 that year as his story made headlines.

Ryan’s first well was built in 1999 when Ryan was seven years-old at a school in a Ugandan village. The well continues to serve thousands of people. Ryan’s determination grew from the $70 collected by doing simple household chores to a Foundation that today has contributed a total of 484 wells in 16 countries bringing clean water and sanitation services to over 611,512 people. The Foundation has raised millions of dollars.

Actor Matt Damon and his nonprofit organization Africa H2O recently committed $200,000 to The Ryan's Well Foundation through a matching funds initiative. "It will help bring clean water to thousands more people and help us achieve what many thought was impossible," says Ryan of Damon's support.

Any kid can follow his lead, says Ryan. “Kids can begin with anything from helping out around the house to starting their own project,” he adds. They’re real words of wisdom, coming from this boy who considered himself, at age 6, just as responsible as anyone else for solving a problem affecting people a world away.

I hope this will impact your life. If you want more details, google Ryan Wells Foundation or go to http://www.ryanswell.ca/story/index.html. God bless.