Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for Spotlight. I’m Joshua Leo.
Voice 2
And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Ryan Hreljac sat in his school classroom in Kemptville, Canada. He was just six years old. He listened closely to his teacher. His school was collecting money for people in Africa. His teacher explained that many people in the world did not have medicine or clean water. Hundreds of thousands of African children die each year, because of diseases in dirty water. Ryan’s teacher told the class that sixty [60] cents could buy a two months supply of medicine for a child. Seventy [70] dollars would pay for a well. A well would give clean drinking water to a whole village.
Voice 2
When Ryan heard this, he knew that he had to do something. Even though he was only six years old, he would change thousands of lives. Today’s Spotlight is on Ryan Hreljac and his work to provide clean water for everyone in the world.
Voice 1
When Ryan returned home that day, he ran to his parents. He asked for seventy dollars for a well. His mother told him that seventy dollars was a lot of money. His family did not have seventy extra dollars. But Ryan kept asking his mother. He asked with tears in his eyes. He told his mother that children were dying. They did not have clean water. His mother understood that Ryan was serious. So she thought of a way for him to help.
Voice 2
Ryan’s mother said that if Ryan did extra jobs around the house, she would pay him money. He could save this money for the well. While his brothers and friends played outside, Ryan worked hard in the house. He worked at his grandfather’s house too. Ryan put all the money into a can. He saved for months. When the money collection at school ended, Ryan had saved thirty-five [35] dollars. But the well cost seventy [70] dollars, so Ryan continued to save.
Voice 1
When Ryan collected the seventy dollars, he brought it to an aid organization called WaterCan. The people at WaterCan knew how hard Ryan had worked. They were very happy to receive the money. But they told Ryan that seventy dollars could only buy a water pump. A well would cost two thousand [2,000] dollars.
Voice 2
The Canadian International Development Agency gives two dollars for every dollar WaterCan receives. Ryan had to collect around seven hundred [700] dollars to get enough money for a well. He knew that this was a lot of money. But Ryan decided to do his best and keep saving. Ryan continued to work around the house.
Voice 1
Ryan’s mother was very happy about her son’s hard work. She told her friends and family about it. She told them about the problem of dirty water, and about Ryan’s strong feelings about it. Those friends started telling other friends. Soon, Ryan’s story was in newspapers and magazines. Many more people learned about Ryan, and about the problem of dirty water.
Voice 2
Then one day, Ryan’s mother received a telephone call. A worker from WaterCan said that people had given more than seven hundred dollars for Ryan’s well. They invited Ryan to meet Gizaw Shibru. He worked in Uganda with the aid organization Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief. Gizaw Shibru thanked Ryan for his work. He told Ryan about the community using Ryan’s well. But then he told Ryan and his mother about a special tool, a drill. This drill could dig many more wells, but it cost a lot of money. The drill cost twenty five thousand [25,000] dollars.
Voice 1
Ryan answered quickly. He said that he would collect the money for the drill. It was a lot of money. But Ryan was not worried. He wanted everyone in Africa to have clean water. So the Hreljacs started collecting again. A large newspaper wrote a story about Ryan. Ryan even appeared on a television news program. Soon, letters arrived in the mail. People were sending money for the drill.
Voice 2
In two months, Ryan collected seven thousand [7,000] dollars. And in about a year, the Hreljac’s had all the money for the drill. But now, Ryan had another plan. He wanted to visit the people in Uganda who used his well. But Ryan was still very young. And the trip to Uganda was very expensive. The Hreljac’s knew that they would have to wait.
Voice 1
But a family that lived near the Hreljac’s had a different idea. They offered to help Ryan fly to Uganda. Soon other people were offering help as well. Six months later, the Hreljacs were on an airplane to Africa.
Voice 2
On July 27, 2000, they arrived in Uganda. Ryan’s well was in the village of Angolo in Northern Uganda. This was a long drive from Kampala. As the Hreljac’s came close to Angolo, they saw children jumping up and down. The children were shouting Ryan’s name. Ryan was so surprised! But it was not just children who knew of Ryan. Thousands of people who lived near the village knew of Ryan and his well.
Voice 1
That day, people from many close villages came to meet Ryan. They told him that children in the village were healthy. This was because of the clean water. Ryan could see the difference in the community. The villagers celebrated with Ryan and his family for many hours that day.
Voice 2
The Hreljac’s returned to their home. But they did not forget the community in Uganda. Ryan understood how important the well was. And just like before, Ryan started saving again. But this time he wanted to do even more.
Voice 1
In 2001, the Hreljacs decided to start an organization to provide clean water for people all around the world. They called the organization Ryan’s Well Foundation. Ryan and his parents worked with other aid organizations. Together, they have collected over one million [1,000,000] dollars to provide clean water. The organization has provided over one hundred thirty [130] wells in nine countries in Africa and South America.
Voice 2
But Ryan does more than just collect money. Ryan travels around the world to tell people about the problems of unclean water. He tells people how clean water can change communities. He explains how particular diseases can become less common with just one well in a community.
Voice 1
One well can change the lives of many people. And Ryan shows that one person can also change the lives of many people. Ryan continues to work very hard to change people’s lives. He hopes that someday all people in the world can have clean water. And Ryan is helping this to happen one well at a time.
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