THEY say charity begins at home and that is exactly the sentiment for one music teacher.

Catherine Rees, of The Drive, Dovercourt, raises money to sponsor or adopt youngsters abroad - by teaching children at her home.

All her donations are sent through the charity World Vision, which delivers emergency aid to countries from Ethiopia to south east Asia.

In 2001, she raised £4,000 through selling her two music books, and by teaching the violin to extra students, which funded a well to be constructed in an Indian village.

Mrs Rees said: "I adopted eight-year-old Yuvarani in India, she wrote to say her river was running dry - she was going to night classes to get a piece of bread and a biscuit.

"The well now serves 11 villages - she wrote to say I earned the respect of the whole village."

Mrs Rees teaches violin to children as young as 14 months in a studio at her Dovercourt home.

Mrs Rees has also sent the children bowls for school as there is never enough at lunchtime, and a bicycle.

She has also adopted five-year-old Kunpirya from Thailand.

"I sent her money for a uniform - she didn't have a mattress to sleep on so I sent money for her to buy one."

Three years ago she decided to adopt nine-year-old Nilar from Mayanmar in Burma.

"She said she wants to be a teacher when she grows up - I took on some more pupils to rebuild her house. The parents and four children lived in just two rooms.

"It rains all the time in Burma, so I sent some money and they got umbrellas."

Mrs Rees wanted to help another Burmese child so adopted 14-year-old Aye.

Mrs Rees said she would carry on sending money to the children who need it as long as she carries on teaching music.