Inverell resident Rosemary Breen is determined to help, with her goal of 100 water tanks ‘before I die’ well and truly surpassed.

“It’s called Living Water Myanmar, it started in 2011 because of a cyclone in the south of the country,” she said.

“One of the girls I used to teach English asked me if I could ever finance a water tank for them down there.”

Flanked in Armidale on Thursday by her comrades on the ground in Myanmar, Saya Toe and Myint Myint Maw, Ms Breen was thrilled with a donation of two water tanks by the Armidale Central Rotary Club.

That brings the total of tanks donated up to 216.

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“I talk to anyone who will listen,” Ms Breen said.

“Myanmar is one of the poorest countries in the world, it’s difficult to get good, clean water in rural India – it changes lives because in some areas children have to go very far to get water.

“It takes a long time to go so the kids are missing out on education.”

In one village Ms Breen visited, residents were travelling for three hours in ox carts to collect water.

The children would walk for an hour and a half to the nearest school.

When the mission first started, Ms Breen would use nuns to take the money she had raised over to Myanmar – in those days they had no banks.

Then Saya Toe took on a much bigger role, now he coordinates the entire operation in Myanmar, visiting villages to help them build tanks and checking on them four or five times after.

Saya Toe said the villages he delivers to are incredibly happy.

“They are always so happy to see me,” he said.

“It means they have good, clean drinking water.”

The tanks cost around $2000 to build, and locals are employed to install and source the materials.

And, Ms Breen said she isn’t done yet.

“We’re aiming for 300 now and there are 30 villages waiting for the tanks, and hundreds in the dry zone – if we can help we will,” she said.

“I always thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have 100 tanks before I die?’ and now I’ve got 216.”

For more information or to make a donation contact Rosemary Breen on 0402531844.