The annual Kyneton Antique Fair is the premier fundraising event for Macedon Ranges Friends of Turiscai.
Funds raised will support various projects established through a partnership with the community of Turiscai, located in the remote mountains of Timor-Leste.
Macedon Ranges Shire Council partners with MRFoT in this friendship agreement and supports the activities and helps raise awareness of it in the region.
The Quambi Stadium at Sacred Heart College in Kyneton will be transformed into an Antiques and Collectables Emporium, featuring a diverse array of items including silver, fine china, jewellery, linen, glassware, lithographs and furniture. Enjoy a selection of tasty refreshments, including options with a Timorese flavour.
Macedon Ranges Friends of East Timor celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2023. The group was launched on October 16, 2008, at St Ambrose Hall in Woodend, with John Connor serving as the first president for four years.
Current president Fran Wigley said that in recognition of the group’s special friendship with the Turiscai community, they adopted the new name, Macedon Ranges Friends of Turiscai, in 2023.
“The current focus for the group is working with and supporting the youth in the community who are crucial for the future of Timor-Leste,” Fran said.
Since 2017, MRFoT has delivered Days for Girls menstrual health kits and education program to year 10 girls, enabling them to attend school consistently during the critical final three years of secondary school.
The Macedon Ranges Days for Girls team makes and donates these kits.
MRFoT also funds after-school English classes with the SOLS Foundation team for a group of students at the recently established public senior secondary school.
The new school has about 200 students in the first two years (year 10 and 11 here) and had no media equipment. A computer and printer have been provided this year, and there is a need for small projectors and computers to assist teachers to deliver lessons in classrooms where very few of the students have textbooks.
Additionally, Rotary Donations in Kind have provided and shipped essential items like school furniture and more recently walking frames for young people with disabilities in Turiscai.
If you would like to learn more about supporting this friendship, assisting with projects in Turiscai, or helping out at the Kyneton Antique Fair, contact Fran Wigley on 0411 208 448.
Celebrate the first weekend of spring at the 26th Kyneton Antique Fair on Saturday August 31, 9am – 4pm, and Sunday September 1, 10am – 4pm.
