So what’s Team Tesfa? Team Tesfa is a team for young track and cross country runners who want to compete among the pros in Addis Ababa. It’s also a vehicle for the foundation to reach out to teenage girls who need a helping hand. These are girls who are separated from their parents or orphaned, who have no support unless they work in bars or as house servants, who often have to give up their education, who are vulnerable to sexual violence. We provide them with housing, education, stipends, and community. In back are (left to right) Meseret, Worke, and Askwal. Up front are (left to right) the team captain, Ijigu, and the team coach, Mr. Berhanu. Coach Berhanu is an old Navy man who competed and coached in a dozen sports. He stands about six and a half feet, and his hand completely envelopes yours in a crushing grip. He’s a very kind man, and he offered his services as a volunteer for months, until we could find the funds to pay him.