Ryan Hreljac

@Dusti_Bones @CrazyVibes_1 haha, don't think I'm AI :P. Thanks for the support Dusti!

@CrazyVibes_1 @RHreljac This is true. Not AI :) He is Blessed for sure!

A teacher said “$70.” A six-year-old boy heard a promise he intended to keep. Kemptville, Ontario. 1998. Ryan Hreljac was six years old, sitting in his first-grade classroom with his feet dangling above the floor, when his teacher mentioned something most children would forget by recess. She was talking about Africa. About villages where children walked for hours every day just to collect water. Water that was dirty. Water that made people sick. Water that sometimes killed them. Ryan raised his hand. “How much does it cost to give them clean water?” The teacher mentioned an organization that built wells. Maybe seventy dollars, she said—just an estimate, meant to explain the idea. Ryan didn’t hear an estimate. He heard a number. That afternoon, he walked into his kitchen and found his mom. “Mom, I need seventy dollars.” “For what?” “To build a well. Kids are dying because they don’t have clean water.” His mother, Susan, could have written a check. Seventy dollars would have been hard, but possible. She could have turned it into a quick lesson about charity and moved on. Instead, she said something that changed everything. “If you want the money,” she told him, “you’ll have to earn it.” Ryan nodded. No arguing. No disappointment. Just acceptance. He started doing extra chores. Vacuuming. Washing windows. Yard work. Every dollar went into a jar. His brothers teased him. Four months passed. Winter turned into spring. Eventually, he reached his goal. Susan drove him to the WaterCan office with his seventy dollars. Ryan was ready to change the world. That’s when the truth came out. Seventy dollars could buy a hand pump. A full well system cost two thousand dollars. Most childhood dreams end right there. Ryan didn’t cry. He didn’t quit. “Okay,” he said. “Then I’ll just have to do more chores.” This time, something unexpected happened. His brothers stopped teasing and started helping. Neighbors offered small jobs. Someone at school organized a fundraiser. Word spread about a boy who refused to give up. By the end of 1998, Ryan had raised the full $2,000. In January 1999, a well was drilled at Angolo Primary School in northern Uganda. Ryan was seven years old. An entire village now had clean water because a child had refused to accept “too expensive” as the end of the story. Ryan began exchanging letters with students at the school. One name kept appearing: Jimmy Akana—a boy his age. Jimmy wrote about how life had changed. Fewer illnesses. More time for school. No more midnight walks for water. Ryan asked his parents if he could meet him. In 2000, the family traveled to Uganda. When their vehicle approached the village, people lined the road—children, elders, families—calling his name. Ryan Hreljac. The boy who brought them water. He was eight years old. Most stories would end there. Ryan kept going. At ten, his family helped establish Ryan’s Well Foundation—not as a symbol, but as a working organization. Ryan grew up alongside it. He studied international development. He returned not as a mascot, but as a leader. Today, Ryan Hreljac still runs the foundation he started as a child. It has completed over 1,700 water projects and more than 1,300 sanitation projects across 17 countries—bringing clean water to over 1.5 million people. Communities are trained to maintain their systems. Local workers are hired. The goal isn’t charity. It’s sustainability. And Jimmy? He later escaped violence in Uganda, came to Canada, and was adopted by Ryan’s family. The two boys who met because of a well became brothers. Ryan has received international honors, including the Order of Ontario. But he speaks most often about something simpler. That change begins with a question. A child didn’t hear a lesson. He heard responsibility. One question. One well. Over 1.5 million lives changed. All because a six-year-old decided that doing nothing wasn’t an option.

Your business goals matter, and you don’t have to navigate them alone. CFDCs offer free, confidential support tailored to where you are and where you want to go. Let’s build something great together. Funded by #GC through @FedDevOntario and @FedNor.

NEW PODCAST! For the first time on the RWF Podcast, Ryan catches up with his brother Jimmy. A warm reunion between these two extraordinary men who became brothers as little boys under the most unlikely circumstances. Enjoy and please like and subscribe. youtu.be/v3cFvc0wTrw

ARE YOU READY?? Our 2025-2026 School Challenge is ON! Your class can design your own fundraiser using your imagination to make a huge difference in the lives of school kids overseas. Details here: ryanswell.ca/make-a-differe… #EmpowerKids #MakeaBetterWorld

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: We've had a longstanding, fruitful partnership with Divine Agency for Integrated Development in Uganda, and it's easy to see why. DivineAid has constructed over 900 wells in three countries (Uganda, Kenya and Sudan). @DivineAIDUg shorturl.at/OzOFQ

@FredCanCat @TheRyansWell @CatWorkers Fred imparting all his leadership it seems! 😅

Back in the office. His first day as my trainee Deputy Office Cat here at Ryan's Well Foundation. Mondays...amirite @TheRyansWell #FredtheCanadianCat #KaitheCanadianKitten @CatWorkers

Ryan Hreljac once said, "You're never too young to make a difference". His son, Jaxon (2 1/2) just raised $87 for @CHEO (Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario) and RWF at a lemonade stand during a neighbourhood garage sale! He loved to share smiles with everyone! #CHEO

WE THANK OUR AMBASSADOR KELLYLEE EVANS for raising awareness of RWF at her beautiful evening of "Winter Song" at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa last Saturday and thanks to all who donated that night. Tour: #tour" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">kellyleeevans.com/#tour Thanks to @CanadasNAC @kellyleeevans

TEACHERS! ZOOM WITH RYAN! It's a learning opportunity, it's fun, and it's soooo easy! Just email ryan@ryanswell.ca and we'll set it up! We can't wait to Zoooom with your class! #empowerkids #learningtogether @RHreljac

A MAGNIFICENT VIDEO...from our partners at Rukungiri Women Integrated Development (RWIDF) Uganda. We sincerely thank Founder and Board Chair Helen Kabajungu and all who contributed to this extraordinary work. youtube.com/watch?v=5fo9m6… @rwidf #cleanwater

Congrats to Community Futures Grenville staff and board on another successful year supporting entrepreneurs! Pleased to attend today’s AGM and offer my commitment to continue working with partners to grow our region’s economy. Thanks to @CateredAffairs for the amazing breakfast!

THRILLED AND HUMBLED to announce that RWF has once again received the highest 5-Star Rating from @CharityIntel! It's our goal to bring clean water to more communities each year; while remaining transparent to our supporters and wise in the use of our resources. Thank you!!

@ssicca1 @ClaudioLessa Gracias! Thanks for the support! :)

A vida não pode ser desprezada por causa de poucos. Lembrem-se, sempre, somos muitos! Meus caros, recebi esta mensagem de um amigo, @ClaudioLessa , resgatada do tempo, e imagino que já deve ter circulado para muita gente mundo afora, em várias redes sociais e em plataformas de mensagens. Inclusive, em matéria jornalística da @gazetadopovo , em 2015. Ao meu ver, nunca devemos esquecer essas histórias, e compartilhar muito esse tipo de informação. São histórias como a do @RHreljac , que um dia gostaria de conhecer, que podem despoluir um pouco este lamaçal mundano, cativado por almas más, que transformou a vida de milhões de pessoas para pior, e que deixa a sociedade doentia. Transcrevo como a recebi, deixando meu fraternal abraço a todos os Ryans, que como sabemos, existem entre nós: -=-= "Este é Ryan 👼 ♥ Este é o menino que tirou a sede de meio milhão de africanos. Seu nome é Ryan, nasceu no Canadá em maio de 1991. Quando pequeno, na escola, com apenas seis anos, sua professora lhe falou sobre como viviam as crianças na África. Profundamente comovido ao saber que algumas até morrem de sede, sendo que para ele próprio bastava ir a uma torneira e ter água limpa. Ryan perguntou a professora quanto custaria para levar água para a Africa, e a professora lembrou que havia uma organização chamada "WaterCan", que poderia fazer poços custando cerca de 70 dólares. Quando chegou em casa, foi direto a sua mãe Susan e lhe disse que necessitava de 70 dólares para comprar um poço para as crianças africanas. Sua mãe disse que ele deveria conseguir o dinheiro pelo seu esforço, e deu-lhe tarefas em casa com as quais Ryan ganhava alguns dólares por semana. Finalmente reuniu os 70 dólares e foi para a "WaterCan". Quando atenderam, disseram-lhe que o custo real da perfuração de um poço era de 2.000 dólares. Susan deixou claro que ela não poderia lhe dar todo esse dinheiro, mas Ryan não se rendeu e prometeu que voltaria com os 2.000. Passou a realizar tarefas na vizinhança e acumulando dinheiro, o que contagiou seus irmãos, vizinhos e amigos, que puseram-se a ajudar. Até reunir o dinheiro necessário. E em janeiro de 1999 foi perfurado um poço numa vila ao norte de Uganda. Quando o poço ficou pronto, a escola de Ryan começou a se corresponder com a escola que ficava ao lado do poço. Assim Ryan conheceu Akana: um jovem que lutava para estudar a cada dia. Ryan, cativado, pediu aos pais para viajar para conhecer Akana. Em 2000, chegou ao povoado, e foi recebido por centenas de pessoas que formavam um corredor e gritavam seu nome. - Sabem meu nome? - Ryan surpreso pergunta ao guia. - Todo mundo que vive 100 quilômetros ao redor sabe. Respondeu. Hoje em dia Ryan, com quase 29 anos, tem sua própria fundação (Ryan’s Well Foundation). Já levou mais de 1.090 poços, e 1.229 sanitários já foram instalados até o momento(2016) na África. Encarrega-se também de proporcionar educação e de ensinar aos nativos a cuidar dos poços e da água. Assim como repassamos tantas coisas fúteis, nada mais justo que compartilhar o herói. ♡♡ Gratidão Ryan ♡♡ " Autor de texto; desconhecido da minha parte.

We are at the Catholic Association of Religious and Family Life Educators of Ontario Conference! Nancy Prest, Ryan's Grade One teacher, is happy to answer your questions and provide some great teacher resources. Thank you Nancy, and @CARFLEOntario #teachers

HAPPY WORLD WATER DAY!! We thank our incredible partners, donors and supporters everywhere for helping bring clean water and decent lives to over 1.4 million people since 1998. Now, here's a message from our Founder and Executive Director, Ryan Hreljac!! #WorldWaterDay

DAY 2: As our visit came to an end, we landed on a young man named after @RHreljac during the 2008 Aromo project. it was joy un-speakable when Ryan and his mother got an opportunity to meet @RHreljac physically. Thank you @ryanswell. #cleanwater #ryanswell

#ThrowbackThursday Here's a memory of travel on the road in the countries where we work. We're excited for next week's monitoring trip to Ghana and Uganda - can't wait to see the projects, reconnect with our partners and make new friends! Join us on this extraordinary journey.

Back for another anthem for the game tonight @Senators vs @AnaheimDucks

Feb 11-17, Canada observes #NationalKindnessWeek, to encourage acts of kindness, volunteerism and charitable giving. NG supported all of these with the KofC Annual Sweetheart Brunch. Thank you MP @MikeBarrettON and Mayor @npeckford for lending helping hands!

So exited to be back at the #SweetheartBrunch in Kemptville hosted by @KofC1802 thank you for all you guys do in our community and beyond!!