Ryan Hreljac was only six years old when he came home from school with a rather unusual request. Instead of asking for a new toy or a special treat, he asked his parents 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 unsafe water, and Ryan learned that a donation of $70 could help provide access to clean drinking water. He believed he could make a difference himself, and began washing windows, vacuuming floors, and taking on extra jobs around the house. His sense of fulfillment was short-lived, since he discovered that the full cost of drilling a well was much higher than he had imagined. Rather than giving up, Ryan's family and community expanded the fundraising effort and turned one child's idea into a project that soon reached far beyond his hometown. According to Ryan's Well Foundation , that campaign eventually helped finance a well beside Angolo Primary School in northern Uganda, which was completed in 1999.
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