By EJIKE NWUBA
Now here is a very touching true life story. Ryan Hreljac, a six year old first grader in Kemptville, Ontario, Canada, heard his teacher talk about the plight of many children in the developing countries living in privation – without toys, food or even clean water. He was disturbed. He couldn’t imagine that human beings like him somewhere in the world died because they didn’t have clean water! The principal had told them in school that seventy dollars would buy a well. The little boy decided to do something about it.
When he got home that day he asked his parents for the seventy dollars for class the next day. His parents didn’t take him seriously- he was a 6 year old kid for crying out loud! The very next day, Ryan was deeply upset. He told his parents that people are dying and he needed that money. His parents discussed it and then decided that seventy dollars was a lot of money and if Ryan was really interested in impacting lives he will have to earn it.They told him that if he was ready to do some house chores he will earn the money he needed. Ryan gladly agreed and they started giving him chores. Ryan worked tirelessly every day to earn the money. Every two dollars he earned, he threw into the cookie tin on top of the refrigerator. He did chores for the neighbours and his grandparents.
It took Ryan over 4 months to earn the seventy dollars. In April 1998, Ryan and his parents took the money to WaterCan in Ottawa, a Canadian non- profit organization providing clean water and sanitation to people in developing countries only to be informed by the Executive Director that it would cost much more than 70 dollars to build the well – in fact it would cost $2,000.
Ryan unruffled simply replied, ‘That’s okay. I’ll just do more chores!’
A newspaper ran a story on Ryan and his project. Many people got inspired and began to give towards it. Ryan received donations on a weekly basis. A high school in Cornwall, Ontario sold bottled water and donated the $228 they realized from it. An association, Central Children’s Choir from Ottawa donated $1,000. The Ground Water Association of Eastern Ontario donated $2,700. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) donated double the amount Ryan raised on his own. Soon enough, Ryan had more than enough for the well.
Ryan was invited to a board meeting to discuss details of the well. The engineer in charge of the project asked Ryan where he would like the well to be built and Ryan decided it would be best near a school.
In April 1999, Ryan’s well was built beside Angolo Primary School in Uganda, Africa and was dedicated. But Ryan’s efforts had only begun.
The entire school bought into his vision and raised another $1,400 for another well. The school then organized a pen pal letter-writing campaign between Ryan’s class and the students at Angolo primary school. Ryan’s campaign got a lot of media attention on television and newspapers.Ryan did not rest on his oars. He told his parents one day, ‘I’m going to keep working until everyone in Africa has clean water’. Another night he told his parents he wanted to see his well in Africa. And his parents told him that he might be twelve by the time they saved up enough money to make the trip to Africa to see the well.
Ryan was excited! He shared the news with his neighbours and his pen pal in Uganda. The news spread in Uganda that Ryan was coming to Uganda. The students in Uganda spread the news to their pen pals in Canada. The following year, the neighbours presented Ryan with enough air miles to fly three people halfway to Uganda to visit the well. The Ottawa Citizen, a newspaper requested for more air miles. Donations came in and coupled with the help of WaterCan, Ryan and his parents arrived Uganda on July 27, 2000.
As they were escorted by the engineer to the well, they were surprised when some group of children began calling out, ‘Ryan! Ryan!’. As they approached the well they were stunned by what they beheld- around 5,000 children from nearby schools lined up at the roadside to receive them. Ryan and his parents were overjoyed during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The well was adorned with flowers and on the concrete was inscribed: ‘Ryan’s Well : Formed by Ryan H. for Comm. Of Angolo’. A village elder on behalf of others expressed his appreciation: ‘Look around at our children. You see they’re healthy. This is because of Ryan and our friends in Canada. For us, water is life’.
But Ryan was not done. He raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for drilling equipment so that all districts can have access to clean water. Today Ryan has a non- profit organization, Ryan’s Well Foundation. The Foundation has built 682 wells and 821 latrines providing safe water and improved sanitation to 723,375 people. The Foundation has raised millions of dollars for its cause. 18 year old Ryan is now in college and remains dedicated to his work. He has visited over 24 countries speaking passionately on the need for clean water around the world. Ryan is recognized by UNICEFas a Global Youth Leader. July 27 is Ryan’s day in Uganda; it marks the anniversary of his first trip to the well in Angolo, Uganda. Ryan at such a tender touched countless lives millions of miles away. Ryan saw a problem and decided to be the solution.
How inspiring!
We were all supposed to be like Ryan. We were all born to make a difference in the world. That is why the Bible says that ‘we are the light of the world’(Matthew 5:14, NKJV). The Living Bible puts it this way:“You are the world’s light – a city on a hill glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so thatthey will praise your heavenly father.” We are here ultimately to make the world a better place. It is my responsibility. It is your responsibility. It is our collective responsibility to change the world for the better. As Woodrow Wilson, the 28th US President said: “You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget your errand”.)
The world is full of problems and you are here to provide the solution. That is why you are breathing. Don’t sit back, fold your arms and wait for somebody else you don’t know to do something about it. Rise to the occasion. Let God use you to touch lives and change the world. Don’t join the bandwagon of grumpy people griping at the government for all the problems in the society. Do something about it.
You can make a difference. Be a blessing to the world. Remember, givers never lack. The selfish man is the most cheated person on earth. Stop talking about the problem. Don’t waste your time cursing darkness. Turn on the light! Be the solution.
Ejike Nwuba is a motivational speaker and personal development consultant. He is the President/ CEO of Renaissanceafrica Ltd.,a training and consulting firm in Lagos, Nigeria. He can be reached on the phone numbers: +234 (0) 803 508 6943, +234 (0) 812 805 9370 and on email at [email protected]
