Meet the Boy Who Brought Clean Water to Over 800,000 Africans

[Ayodeji adebayo]

Meet the Boy Who Brought Clean Water to Over 800,000 Africans

Not every hero wears a cape – some just carry a bucket and a dream. 🧒💧

This is the story of Ryan Hreljac, a Canadian boy born in May 1991, who started making a global impact at just 6 years old. His journey began with a simple classroom lesson that changed his life—and the lives of thousands.

One day in school, Ryan’s teacher told the class about children in Africa who didn’t have access to clean water. Some even died of thirst. That hit little Ryan so deeply that he asked, “How much does it cost to get water to them?”

The teacher mentioned a charity called WaterCan, which built wells for about $70. Ryan rushed home and told his mom he needed the money to buy a well. His mother, Susan, didn’t hand over the cash. Instead, she gave him chores to earn it.

Bit by bit, Ryan saved the $70. But when he took it to WaterCan, they told him the real cost of drilling a well was $2,000. His mom couldn’t give him that either—but Ryan said, “I’ll come back with the rest.”

And he did.

He took on more chores, rallied friends, neighbors, and classmates, and raised the full amount. In January 1999, a well was drilled in northern Uganda, and clean water flowed into a village for the first time.

But it didn’t stop there.

Ryan’s school got involved, and soon they were exchanging letters with the school near the well. That’s how Ryan met Akana, a boy who inspired him even more. Ryan wanted to meet him face to face—and in 2000, he travelled to Uganda. Hundreds of villagers lined up to welcome him, chanting his name.

“They even know my name?” Ryan asked, shocked.
“Everyone within 100 kilometers knows,” his guide replied.

Today, Ryan is 33 years old. He runs his own foundation and has helped build over 400 wells across Africa, impacting more than 800,000 lives. Beyond that, he’s providing education and helping locals manage water systems themselves.

While many people spend their lives chasing fame, money, or clout, this young man chose a path of compassion, action, and impact. And he started with just one question and $70 worth of faith.

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