Ryan Hreljac

Ryan Hreljac evolved from a Canadian schoolboy with a simple idea to the Executive Director of a foundation that has brought clean water and sanitation to communities worldwide. After successfully raising $2,000 through community fundraising and speaking engagements, Ryan Hreljac oversaw the drilling of his first well at Angolo Primary School in Uganda in January 1999. In 2001, he officially established the Ryan’s Well Foundation. The foundation’s initial goal was to build wells in Africa and educate children on sanitation and safe water practices, raising CA$61,000 within its first two years.

In January 2015, Ryan returned to the Ryan’s Well Foundation, initially as an Assistant Project Manager, a role that involved training locals on well maintenance in Kenya, Burkina Faso, and Uganda. He also appeared in the 2015 documentary Return to Ryan’s Well. By 2015, the foundation had completed 900 projects, benefiting 824,038 people, culminating in the digging of its 1,000th well in northern Uganda in the fall of that year. His continued dedication was recognized with a second World of Children Award as an alumni winner in April 2016.

Since 2019, Ryan Hreljac has served as the Executive Director of the Ryan’s Well Foundation. Under his leadership, by June 2023, the foundation had brought clean water to over 1.5 million people across 17 developing countries through 1,767 water projects and 1,322 sanitation projects. He continues to travel internationally, speaking about global water issues and inspiring individuals of all ages to contribute to positive change. His work has garnered significant support from public figures including Matt Damon, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Goodall, and Prince Charles, further amplifying the foundation’s global reach.