04/21/2025
This is the boy who quenched the thirst of half a million Africans. His name is Ryan, and he was born in Canada in May 1991.
When he was a child, just six years old, his teacher told the class about how children live in Africa. Deeply moved by the fact that some even die of thirst—while he could simply go to the tap and drink clean water—Ryan asked the teacher how much it would cost to bring water to Africa. She mentioned an organization called “WaterCan,” which could build wells for about $70.
When he got home, he went straight to his mother, Susan, and told her he needed $70 to buy a well for African children. His mother told him he would have to earn the money through hard work and gave him chores that allowed Ryan to earn a few dollars each week.
Eventually, he saved up the $70 and went to WaterCan, where they told him the actual cost of drilling a well was $2,000. Susan made it clear she couldn’t give him all that money, but Ryan didn’t give up—he promised he would come back with the full $2,000.
He continued doing chores around the neighborhood to raise money, inspiring his brothers, neighbors, and friends to join in and help until they raised the necessary funds. In January 1999, the well was drilled in a village in northern Uganda.
Once the well was ready, Ryan’s school started to help, and they established contact with the school near the well. That’s how Ryan met Akana, a boy who fought to go to school every day. Ryan was so moved that he asked his parents to take him to meet Akana. In 2000, he arrived in the village, where hundreds of people greeted him, forming a corridor and chanting his name.
“They even know my name?” Ryan asked the guide, surprised.
“Everyone within 100 kilometers knows,” the guide replied.
Today, Ryan is 33 years old, runs his own foundation, and has brought over 400 wells to Africa. He is also responsible for providing education and teaching locals how to take care of the wells and manage water.
While we go through so many meaningless things, nothing is more righteous than paying tribute to a true hero.
