The Well that Changed the World
Canadian schoolboy Ryan had trouble believing the words spoken by his teacher that many people in developing African countries couldn't get enough clean water. The shy six-year-old looked across the classroom at the drinking fountain. It was very close — only ten steps away. So, Ryan asked himself, “Why do some African children have to walk ten kilometres to get water every day? And why is the water so dirty that it makes them sick?” Young Ryan thought, “Life is easy for me, but hard for those people. Why don't I help?”
At first, his plan was to earn money to build a single well somewhere in Africa. He cleaned windows and did gardening for his family and neighbours. He soon reached his first target of $70, but when he gave the money to a charity, he was told that it actually cost $2,000 to build a well. Seventy dollars was only enough for a hand pump. Ryan understood that a hand pump wouldn't help the children. What they needed was a well dug near their homes.
Two thousand dollars was a lot of money, but Ryan didn't give up. He was determined to help other children have clean water. He started to ask for help from his classmates and neighbours and persuaded them to donate money. At the same time, a friend of Ryan's mother, who worked at an international development organisation, helped make Ryan's story go public. After several months, Ryan had raised enough money, to build a well near a primary school in Uganda. The children at the school no longer needed to walk for hours to get water. They were grateful to him and invited him to visit.
In Uganda, Ryan at last saw the finished well with his own eyes. But that was not all. He also saw hundreds of delighted students who had turned out to welcome him. They sang and danced happily. Some even offered him food and gifts. At first Ryan was nervous, but soon a great warmth filled him. He really had made a difference for these children. He broke into a joyful smile.
Later, Ryan's experience led him to set up a foundation to encourage more people to help. Many inspired people gave him their support. Ryan's foundation continues to attract support from more and more people, so the work of building more wells can go on. Today, over 800,000 people in 16 countries across Africa have profited from the life-changing gift of clean, safe water.
Now, as an adult, Ryan says that the question to ask is not “Why don't I help?”, but “How can I help today?”. This insight grew from the determined attitude of a six-year-old boy who had the courage and perseverance to make his dream a reality.