Julia
10-20-2004, 01:32 AM
http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&category=general%20news&story_id=343994&y=2004&m=10
Out of Africa, straight home to Tim's place
By Megan Doherty
Tuesday, 19 October 2004
Canberra Times
Squeals of laughter and the chatter of children can be heard from
behind trees on the approach to the Gavel home in Ainslie.
It's here an instant family has been created - and is slowly and
surely building bonds to last a lifetime.
Ethiopian orphans Eskedar and Eskindir have been adopted by popular
666 ABC Radio sports broadcaster Tim Gavel and his wife Jenny Andrew
and in just two weeks have settled well into their new life in
Australia.
Eskindir, 2, is an exuberant bundle of energy who loves cars and
bananas. His sweet 4-year-old sister Eskedar has gorgeous big eyes
that seem to reveal an old soul.
The brother and sister were living with their grandmother among 14
people in one room in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. Their
parents had both died. When their grandmother decided to put the
children up for adoption, they lived in the Koala House foster home,
so named because of the many Australians who have adopted children
from there.
Jenny, who turns 44 today, and Tim, 42, are able to have their own
children but after some time trying, the couple eventually decided to
adopt from overseas.
Two years ago they started to work through the ACT and Ethiopian
Governments to adopt the children but not until going through "a fair
bit of soul- searching".
"I didn't know much about [overseas adoption] and I had
semi-workaholic tendencies and I thought, 'Gee, how am I going to fit
kids into my life?'. But then I thought, 'I'll just have to step off
that treadmill'," Tim said.
"The other thing is in sports commentary, you tend to put up emotional
barriers and you've really got to take down those emotional barriers
and really expose yourself when you adopt. I wasn't sure if I was
ready for that but in the end, I decided I was. It's the best decision
we've ever made to adopt these two kids, they've been fantastic."
To the children, Tim is "Ababa" and Jenny is "Emama". The kids are
still to learn English while Tim and Jenny know a little Amharic.
The couple received the first photograph of their children in July and
then had to wait two more months until they could collect, and hug and
hold, them.
"We've shed a lot of tears. It's been just a hard road," Jenny said.
The couple decided to adopt from Ethiopia after Tim suggested they
investigate the country because of his contact with Ethiopian athletes
in the course of his job, including commentating at the Olympics.
"They have a gentle nature, a very giving nature as well and are just
incredibly happy people," he said.
"And the thing I've noticed about these kids since we've had them, is
that their ability to adapt is phenomenal. They've only been in
Australia a couple of weeks and it seems like they've been here for a
lifetime."
For Eskedar, the transition has been a little more difficult. Being
the older sibling, she was most definitely the protector of her
brother, in the absence of their parents. Now she is learning to be a
little girl again. And her smile is wide as she tucks into a biscuit
or plays with the colourful clips she likes to put in her hair.
She's also started preschool in Ainslie, going along with Jenny.
Out of Africa, straight home to Tim's place
By Megan Doherty
Tuesday, 19 October 2004
Canberra Times
Squeals of laughter and the chatter of children can be heard from
behind trees on the approach to the Gavel home in Ainslie.
It's here an instant family has been created - and is slowly and
surely building bonds to last a lifetime.
Ethiopian orphans Eskedar and Eskindir have been adopted by popular
666 ABC Radio sports broadcaster Tim Gavel and his wife Jenny Andrew
and in just two weeks have settled well into their new life in
Australia.
Eskindir, 2, is an exuberant bundle of energy who loves cars and
bananas. His sweet 4-year-old sister Eskedar has gorgeous big eyes
that seem to reveal an old soul.
The brother and sister were living with their grandmother among 14
people in one room in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. Their
parents had both died. When their grandmother decided to put the
children up for adoption, they lived in the Koala House foster home,
so named because of the many Australians who have adopted children
from there.
Jenny, who turns 44 today, and Tim, 42, are able to have their own
children but after some time trying, the couple eventually decided to
adopt from overseas.
Two years ago they started to work through the ACT and Ethiopian
Governments to adopt the children but not until going through "a fair
bit of soul- searching".
"I didn't know much about [overseas adoption] and I had
semi-workaholic tendencies and I thought, 'Gee, how am I going to fit
kids into my life?'. But then I thought, 'I'll just have to step off
that treadmill'," Tim said.
"The other thing is in sports commentary, you tend to put up emotional
barriers and you've really got to take down those emotional barriers
and really expose yourself when you adopt. I wasn't sure if I was
ready for that but in the end, I decided I was. It's the best decision
we've ever made to adopt these two kids, they've been fantastic."
To the children, Tim is "Ababa" and Jenny is "Emama". The kids are
still to learn English while Tim and Jenny know a little Amharic.
The couple received the first photograph of their children in July and
then had to wait two more months until they could collect, and hug and
hold, them.
"We've shed a lot of tears. It's been just a hard road," Jenny said.
The couple decided to adopt from Ethiopia after Tim suggested they
investigate the country because of his contact with Ethiopian athletes
in the course of his job, including commentating at the Olympics.
"They have a gentle nature, a very giving nature as well and are just
incredibly happy people," he said.
"And the thing I've noticed about these kids since we've had them, is
that their ability to adapt is phenomenal. They've only been in
Australia a couple of weeks and it seems like they've been here for a
lifetime."
For Eskedar, the transition has been a little more difficult. Being
the older sibling, she was most definitely the protector of her
brother, in the absence of their parents. Now she is learning to be a
little girl again. And her smile is wide as she tucks into a biscuit
or plays with the colourful clips she likes to put in her hair.
She's also started preschool in Ainslie, going along with Jenny.
