Self Starter
Over the past 10 years, the Ryan's Well Foundation — started by young activist
Ryan Hreljac — has built 394 wells in 15 countries. OWL asked 17-year-old Ryan what inspired him to raise money for his first well. Here's what he had to say!
"In January, 1998, I was sitting in my Grade 1 classroom. My teacher explained that people in developing countries were getting sick and some were even dying because they didn't have clean water.
"My teacher said that $70 would build a well in Africa. My mom and dad told me I could do extra chores to earn the money. I worked for four months to earn my first $70. Then I learned that it was actually going to cost $2,000 to build a well. So I said I would do more chores. It grew from there.
"When I was nine, I got to see my first well, which is located at the Angolo Primary School in northern Uganda. I saw all the children who were lined up along the long dirt road that led to the school. It was awesome. In 2006, I returned to Uganda with my dad. We visited dozens of our projects all over the country.
"Throw a stone into a pond and watch the ripples come out. If one person takes action and then others do the same, before you know it, you have a major ripple effect happening."
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