Free Chicken Soup for the Canadian Soul by Jack Canfield Page A

organized a pen pal letter-writing campaign between Ryan’s class and the students at Angolo Primary School.
    CTV and several big newspapers did lead stories on the project and interviewed Ryan. I was concerned about all the attention going to his head. When I asked Ryan’s teacher, Lynn, about it she said, “I don’t think so. Ryan never talks about it unless someone asks.” She then told me the class had been raising funds throughout the year, and a WaterCan had been placed on her desk. One day she’d walked into her classroom and found Ryan was at the water can, picking his picture off the side. “I already have enough money for my well,” he explained. “This well will be for my class.”
    One day Ryan said, “I’m going to keep working until everyone in Africa has clean water.” I thought, Oh, boy! I’d heard about encouraging your children to be confident and dream big dreams. I didn’t want to say, like I almost had when he asked for the seventy dollars, that he couldn’t make a difference. The truth was, he already had!
    One night Ryan shared with us that one day, he would love to actually see his well. I replied, “Ryan, you will see your well. You might be twelve by the time we save enough money to visit Africa, but I promise you‚ will see your well.”
    One day, when Ryan was over visiting our neighbours, he announced, “When I’m twelve, I’m going to go over to Uganda and see my well.” He wrote his pen pal Jimmy Akana in Uganda saying, “When I’m twelve, I’m coming to see you.” This news spread like wildfire through the school in Uganda, and all the children wrote back to their pen pals in Ryan’s class asking, “Are you coming with Ryan? Did you know Ryan is coming when he’s twelve?”
    When Jimmy wrote back, he said, “I always drink from your well, and I thank you for the well. We will be so happy to see you in Uganda when you’re twelve.”
    At New Years, our neighbours, the Paynters, presented Ryan with a very special gift—enough air miles to fly three people halfway to Uganda to visit Jimmy and his well! The Ottawa Citizen then posted a request for more air miles. As a result of those donations, and some help from Water Can, my husband and I were able to join Ryan. Together, we would all see the amazing well that has allowed Ryan’s friends in Uganda to have fresh, clean water everyday.
    On July 27, 2000, we arrived by truck in Angolo, Uganda. As we got close, a small group of children saw us and began calling out, “Ryan! Ryan!”
    Ryan was astonished that they knew his name.
    “Everybody for a hundred kilometres knows your name, Ryan,” our companion Gizaw Shibru announced.
    As we rounded a bend, we were stunned to see a crowd of about 5,000 children from nearby schools lining the roadside, waiting for us. As our truck approached, they excitedly began clapping rhythmically in welcome!
    Ryan managed to wave a shy hello. A welcoming committee then led us all to Angolo Primary School. Ryan’s pen pal, Jimmy, was waiting for him, and after they said hello, Jimmy took Ryan’s hand and led him to the well for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. As we approached Ryan’s well, we were overcome with joy. It was adorned with flowers, and on the concrete was inscribed: “Ryan’s Well: Formed by Ryan H for Comm. of Angolo.”
    A village elder spoke words of appreciation: “Look around at our children. You can see they’re healthy. This is because of Ryan and our friends in Canada. For us, water is life.”
    Ryan has also raised money for drilling equipment so that all districts can experience having clean, life-giving water. To date, Ryan has raised over $100,000, which, when matched with CIDA funding, totals over $300,000!
    Ryan is now eleven years old and still going strong. There is a Ryan’s Well Foundation. His dream has changed the lives of so many people, most of whom we will never meet. That special day in Uganda was one of the happiest days of my life, and it will