Mission Statement

ESFNA, an organization of the players, by the players, for all Ethiopians

To ESFNA’s thousands of former and current players

It is with great pleasure and humility that I address you all as ESFNA’s president.  There is no task greater than to be entrusted with assuring the continuity of this great organization started by former players to create our own little Ethiopia in the land of our refuge.  It is an organization hewn out of a strong fraternity of athletes that endured one of the harshest eras in Ethiopia.  ESFNA through the years has grown in leaps and bounds and has become a favorite annual destination of tens of thousands of Ethiopians in North America and indeed from around the world.  Artists wait to kick off their new release during our event.  New Ethiopian businesses introduce their new products or services during our much anticipated event.  Nonprofit organizations come to introduce their vision and goals and to solicit support for their various efforts.  Local mom and pop stores in the host city create an incredible bazaar like atmosphere to cater for the various needs of our guests.  Book publishers, software developers, real estate agents, religious leaders etc. come to our event knowing ESFNA provides the stage that truly brings ALL Ethiopians together. 

All these accomplishments are great but don’t even come close to what I consider our number one accomplishment of “Bringing Ethiopians Together”.  Bringing Ethiopians together means long lost friends reunited during our event, old romances rekindled and families formed, new friendships forged that have lasted decades and kids born after our organization was formed becoming our players.  In a nutshell, the human relationship factor of ESFNA is truly our biggest accomplishment.  I list our collective accomplishments to say thank you to our former and current players because it could not have happened without you.  In a rough estimate, there are around 5,000 players that have graced ESFNA’s rosters through the years.  As players, you showed great sportsmanship and athletic abilities that has been the core product for ESFNA.  You played in the morning, in the heat of the day, through rain, in stadiums full of people and in empty stadiums.  You have been not only the back bone of ESFNA but a solid part of your respective Ethiopian communities in 24 cities around North America.   You have given hope to millions of our country men and women who eagerly followed our event year after year.  Because of you, great athletes have been recognized for their lifetime accomplishments as our guests of honor.  Various men and women that have made significant contributions in the non-sports arena have been recognized to their delight.  Thank you ESFNA players because you have made it possible for all Ethiopians to feel a sense of pride. 

As I conclude my letter of thanks to you, I would like to remind you that your organization needs your support more than ever.  Continue to stay engaged in your teams which will ultimately make all of us stronger as an organization.  As always, should you have questions, concerns or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Getachew Tesfaye

ESFNA, President