5 Key Takeaways
- A single child's determination can spark meaningful global change
- Access to clean water improves health, education, and economic opportunity
- Sanitation and hygiene education are essential alongside clean water
- Persistence and community support can turn a small effort into a large-scale project
- Long-term impact requires ongoing partnerships with local organizations
How a Six-Year-Old’s Extra Chores Helped Build a School Well in Uganda
In 1998, six-year-old Ryan Hreljac came home from school in Canada with a request that surprised his parents. He wasn’t asking for a toy, a video game, or a treat. Instead, he wanted to know if he could earn money by doing extra household chores. His teacher had explained that many children in developing countries walked long distances each day to collect water that was not safe to drink. Ryan learned that a donation of $70 could help provide access to clean drinking water. He believed he could make a difference himself, and he got to work.
Ryan began washing windows, vacuuming floors, and taking on extra jobs around the house. His early effort produced a sense of fulfillment, but it was short-lived. He soon discovered that the full cost of drilling a well was much higher than the $70 figure he had first understood. Rather than giving up, Ryan’s family and community expanded the fundraising campaign. What began as one child’s idea turned into a project that reached far beyond his hometown. Ryan’s Well Foundation notes that the campaign helped finance a well beside Angolo Primary School in northern Uganda, which was completed in 1999.
The first well changed more than one community. It also changed Ryan’s understanding of what was possible. After traveling to Uganda and meeting families who benefited from reliable access to clean water, he realized that thousands of other communities faced similar challenges. That experience inspired the creation of Ryan’s Well Foundation, a Canadian charity focused on improving access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education in underserved communities around the world.
The foundation’s focus on sanitation and hygiene education matters because clean water alone does not guarantee disease prevention. Sanitation involves the safe disposal of human waste, while hygiene education teaches practices such as handwashing that stop germs from spreading. World of Children notes that Ryan continued speaking at schools, community events, and international gatherings. He encouraged young people to see that age does not limit their ability to contribute to solving global problems. His story became an example of how classroom learning supported by persistence and community support can evolve into a long-term humanitarian effort.
Reliable access to clean water affects far more than health alone. In many rural communities, children — particularly girls — can spend hours each day collecting water from distant rivers, ponds, or hand pumps. This daily task reduces the time available for school, especially for girls who often bear the heaviest burden. Wells located near schools and villages can shorten those journeys, improve attendance, and reduce exposure to waterborne diseases, which are illnesses caused by germs in contaminated water.
WaterAid Canada notes that access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene helps protect communities from illnesses such as cholera and diarrheal diseases. It also improves educational and economic opportunities. For schools, a dependable water supply makes it easier to maintain hygiene facilities and create a healthier learning environment.
More than two decades after Ryan began doing extra chores, Ryan’s Well Foundation has supported water, sanitation, and hygiene projects in several countries. The foundation works with local organizations and communities on projects designed to provide access to clean water and improve sanitation. Ryan’s first effort was much smaller. As a first-grade student, he learned that children in other parts of the world did not always have safe water and decided to raise money to help. His early fundraising came from doing chores at home and asking others to contribute.
From there, the campaign attracted support from schools, families, businesses, and other donors. The foundation that grew from that effort continues to work on water and sanitation projects. Ryan’s original story remains tied to the simple decision of a child to act on something he had learned in class.
Ryan Hreljac’s story shows how classroom learning, persistence, and community support can turn a modest idea into a long-term humanitarian effort. It also highlights the practical impact of safe water access on education, health, and economic opportunity. More than two decades on, the work is ongoing. Ryan’s Well Foundation continues to partner with local organizations and communities to deliver water and sanitation infrastructure where it is needed. What started with a six-year-old doing extra chores is still creating ripple effects today.
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