ESFNA is billed as a soccer tournament. And it is — 32 teams, players ranging from 18 to their mid-thirties, most of them laying on local teams and also part of organized Ethiopian community organizations back home in their cities. The players shared that often they start practicing together in February for this one spectacular week in July. But anyone who has been to the Ethiopian Sport Federation in North America tournament knows the soccer is only part of the story.
This year, the 43rd annual ESFNA tournament landed in the Twin Cities. And Roots Ethiopia was there.
Kongit and Meghan at Booth 72, ESFNA 2026, TCO Stadium, Eagan, Minnesota. Everyone loved Kongit's Tshirt -- which she self styled for the heat. Skills!
Seven Days on Our Feet
Roots Ethiopia Board Chair Meghan and Board Member Kongit spent the entire week at TCO Stadium in Eagan, Minnesota. Nine, ten, sometimes eleven hours a day in ninety-degree heat. Setup every morning. Breakdown every night.
The last few days, when evening performances and Ethiopia Day pushed the crowds well into the night, they were showing up at noon and leaving at ten or eleven. There was dancing, singing, hanging with friends, coffee, t'ibs, and ice cream.
It was a lot. It was worth every minute.
“Can we tell you about Roots Ethiopia and our $7 for School Campaign?”
— This was our call out every day.
These words capture the essence of being present and introducing Roots Ethiopia to our ESFNA friends.
What ESFNA Actually Is
Picture something closer to a state fair than a sporting event. Around the stadium, rows of food tents staffed by Ethiopian cooks from across the country. Vendors selling traditional clothing, jewelry, and crafts. Live music every evening after the games. Coffee ceremonies running all day, the smell of roasted beans drifting through the grounds. Eskista at every opportunity. Laughter and love in abundance.
And everywhere, people finding each other.
Teams had traveled from Seattle, Washington DC, Sioux Falls, and dozens of cities in between. Many of these teams are 501(c)(3) organizations in their own right — organized around community service, mentorship, and presence beyond the soccer field. We learned that many players had been part of a tradition stretching back to the early 1980s. Local leagues. Local community. One week a year to come together.
Thirty-two teams traveled from across North America to compete at ESFNA 2026. Many have been part of this tradition since the 1980s.
One Moment Meghan Loved
Mid-week, Kongit stepped away from the Roots Ethiopia tent to get food. A text came through from her to Meghan:
"Please come for kitfo gursha."
Kitfo is a traditional Ethiopian dish. Gursha is the act of hand-feeding someone you care about. It was an invitation to both.
Gursha is an Amharic word meaning "mouthful." It refers to the Ethiopian tradition of hand-feeding someone as a gesture of respect, affection, and belonging. It is food sharing at its most human.
Meghan handed the booth off to a neighbor for ten minutes and went. An invitation for gursha (and kitfo) is not to be missed. And spending the week together in service of Roots Ethiopia....well, it was a special moment for Meghan.
It was not the first gursha invitation that week. It was not the last for either Meghan or Kongit. But it was a reminder of what ESFNA actually is: a homecoming for the Ethiopian diaspora community, and an honor to be welcomed into it.
The People Who Found Us At Booth 72
Our booth became a gathering place. Friends, cousins, and community members found Kongit and Che, both Roots Ethiopia board members and both Ethiopian. Kongit held down the booth from start to finish. Che made the trip from Colorado for the final two days.
It was fun to watch Che move through ESFNA. Minnesota was home for him once, and the reunion energy was real. Friends from his MN days found him at our booth. Old connections sparked back to life right in front of us. He brought a joy and ease to those last days that you simply cannot manufacture. We were so glad he came. Watching those reunions happen right at our booth was one of the great gifts of the week. Those conversations mattered more than any sign or banner we could have put up.
On the first morning, before the crowds arrived, Adonay stepped out of his car right in front of our booth. The games had just started. It was quiet. And we were there. If you are part of the Ethiopian community anywhere in the world, you know who Adonay is. 6 million followers on Tiktok and counting. He was at ESFNA to rally support for another NGO he believes in, and we respected that completely. But he stopped, picked up a Roots Ethiopia t-shirt, and stayed to talk about the work. We told him about what we do. We did not ask him for anything. We will find a time to share more.
We may have lost our composure just a little. We are not ashamed.
Scroll through the gallery below and see who else stopped by. Hint — check out photos 2, 3, and 4. You might recognize Lost Lyrics, our very first donor of the week repping us with our beloved coffee sticker, and Noah from Messiahtheking.
Adonay stopped by on the very first morning, before the crowds arrived. Kongit handed him a t-shirt. He was at ESFNA supporting another cause he believes in — and that tells you everything about his heart. This is what ESFNA feels like.
Before You Go — Watch This
We invited folks into our booth — and yes, our tent really did feel like a living room. Someone said "if there were a medal for the most lovely tent, it would go to Roots Ethiopia." We loved that. Meghan and Kongit had spent hours planning, and the tent really was home for the week.
We also had this video playing all week, connecting soccer and education and joy in Ethiopia. Honestly, we talked more than we watched. That's just how ESFNA goes.
We are eager for folks to watch this video, and if you have time, we would love for you to watch.
ESFNA taught us that showing up matters. That community recognizes community. That the Ethiopian diaspora is generous, curious, and ready to connect with work that reflects their values. We came to introduce ourselves. We left with friends, donors, and a deeper understanding of why we do this work.
$7 for School
Behind every conversation at our booth was this simple truth: $7 a month provides the 12 notebooks and 3 pens a student needs to learn all year long.
If ESFNA moved you, this is how you stay connected to the work.
And if you want to carry a little of this homecoming energy with you, we put together a Spotify playlist — Sounds of Ethiopia — curated by our board member Che. Sign up for our newsletter and it is yours.
