When Canadian teenager Ryan was six years old, his teacher told him that in many parts of Africa there was no clear water. She said that people often made themselves ill, and even died, just from drinking or bathing in dirty water.

What she said made Ryan upset. He decided to raise money for a well(井) so that people in Africa could have clean water. He did extra(额外的) chores for his parents and raised $70 all by himself. Then he found out that it actually cost $2,000 to dig a well.

Most people would have given up at this point, but not Ryan. He was disappointed, but determined to raise more money. Finally he collected over $2,000.That money was used to dig the first of “Ryan's wells”.

Since then, Ryan has continued to raise money for more wells. In fact, Ryan has raised over $1,500,000!

Ryan calls himself “a normal boy” and likes to play ice hockey when he’s not in school or traveling around the world talking to other students about himself and his work. As for the future, he has said that he isn’t exactly sure what he will choose to do. “Something along the lines of a lawyer or a teacher. Maybe a leader!”

Linda is a happy girl with a kind heart.

One day Linda’s mom gave her some money to buy her favorite ice-cream. When she arrived at the ice cream shop, she saw a poor man — he was wearing some old clothes and looked hungry outside the shop. Linda thought he was the poorest man in the world.

Linda looked at the ice-cream in the shop and the man outside and thought for a while. Then she decided to give the money to the poor man.

The man smiled and said, “Thank you, little girl. You are very kind. But I’m not a poor man. In fact, I’m the richest man in the town and I sometimes wear some old clothes to see what people will do.”

Then the rich man took Linda to a big shop, and said to her , “Choose a gift for yourself, even the most expensive one, if you want.”

Linda asked, “Can I choose two?”

“Of course.” answered the man.

Linda took a big cup of ice cream for herself, and a new coat for the man.

Aunt Jia had a snack stand (摊位) in our neighborhood. Her snacks never failed to satisfy my stomach. What’s more, she was always patient with her customers. Even COVID-19 didn’t influence her business.

One day, during the last Spring Festival, I saw a large family visiting her stand. It formed a heart-warming picture: Each family member was enjoying being together. As they were leaving, I noticed Aunt Jia felt a bit sad.

I was amazed. In my experience, she was always smiling. I went forward and ordered my favorite snack. When she was wrapping (打包), I couldn’t help saying, “Happy New Year, Aunt Jia! Why don’t you take a break?” Aunt Jia looked surprised, but she soon replied,“Happy New Year! I love working here in this city. It’s too cold and snowy in my hometown.” I became more curious (好奇的). “Where do you come from? Aren’t your family waiting for you to come home for the celebration?” Aunt Jia stopped for a few seconds. “They sure are”, she answered gently. “But I have to stay here. I’m from a mountain area, where it would not be easy to make money. I’d be comfortable if I were home now. But in order to live a better life, I must work hard.” I froze thinking about her words. Having noticed my shock, Aunt Jia smiled.

To get something better, sacrifice (牺牲) is a must. This is a rule that people from all walks of life must follow.