Educational Media Reviews Online

Ryan’s Well demonstrates how the efforts of a few can make a difference in the lives of many others, while it reinforces the need for awareness of global issues.

The video introduces us to Ryan Hreljac, a boy from Kempville, Ontario, who, at the age of 6, sets out to raise money to build a well for a village in Africa. When Ryan learns at school that $70 can buy a well for an African village, he asks his parents for the money to send to Africa. Ryan’s parents agree that he can do chores around the house to raise the money.

This begins Ryan’s journey. We witness the support he receives from friends and family, as well as the obstacles in his path. Obstacles such as finding out that it will actually take not $70 but rather around $2000 to finance a well. At this point, a local newspaper runs a story on Ryan’s efforts, and citizens in his town send donations. Ten months later, after receiving more publicity and TV exposure, Ryan has raised the $2000 needed for the building of a well. This is only the beginning of the story. When the non-profit organization that is building the well lets Ryan decide where the well is to be built, Ryan requests it to be built at a school. As a result of Ryan’s hard work, the Angolo Primary School in Uganda has a well built on their grounds. From here we see how this becomes a more personal endeavor for Ryan, as him and his classmates become pen pals with the students in the school.

The story continues when Ryan, with the help of his classmates, now sets out to raise $45,000 to build a drilling rig for the town. Shortly after this is completed, Ryan and his family have the opportunity to take a trip to Uganda where they see the well and spend a few days in the village it benefits. While Ryan gets to see what good the well has done for the village, he also has the opportunity to witness the time and effort it takes for a nearby town with no access to a well to retrieve water, and the health risks of not having clean well water. This makes Ryan even more passionate about his cause, and when he returns home, Ryan devotes his time encouraging others to raise money to build wells for other African villages, so they can have a supply of clean water. Ryan message is this- that with a great amount of effort and desire, anything can be accomplished, and that everyone helping a little makes a difference.

Recommended for school libraries as well as academic libraries with a teacher education program, this video can be used as a vehicle to demonstrate the capabilities of young children. Some of the video was filmed in Uganda and feature cultural aspects as well living conditions there. For this reason, this title could also be considered for an African studies collection.