Long before arriving in the United State as a UNESCO Fellow in 1972) Tsehaye Teferra had a keen awareness of the relationship between education, achievement and fulfillment, a determination to expand learning opportunities for the poor, and a commitment to public service. For over 30 years, those qualities have guided a distinguished career that has touched the lives of countless students in his Ethiopian homeland; enhanced awareness and appreciation for Ethiopian history, culture and traditions; enabled thousands of refugees and immigrants to establish new lives in America; and earned a position of leadership and respect in refugee affairs.   His interest in languages and learning surfaced during his high school teaching experiences in Ethiopia... After graduating from Haile Selassie I University in Addis Ababa with a bachelor's degree in Ethiopian languages and literature, he taught at the Addis Ababa Teachers Training Institute. He conducted cultural orientation and language training courses for Peace Corps volunteers in Ethiopia.

Dr. Teferra earned masters and Ph.D. degrees from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. His doctorate is in Sociolinguistics. He taught language courses at the Catholic University of America and the Foreign Service Institute. He conducted language research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education at’ Georgetown and Howard Universities. He served as a language specialist for the Department of State, evaluating Amharic and Tigrinya proficiency for interpreters.  As one of the founders of the Washington. D. C. - based Ethiopian Community Center,

Dr. Teferra, served as its president for three years. In 1983, he founded the non-profit; community based Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc. (ECDC) to respond initially to the needs of the growing number of Ethiopian refugees in the Washington, D.C~-area as well as around the U.S. Soon ECDC was serving refugee and immigrant newcomers from around the world, becoming a multi service provider to an increasingly diverse multi-cultural constituency.

Since 1991, ECDC has been one of the ten national agencies authorized by the Department of State to resettle refugees in the U.S. Today. ECDC resettles refugees in 10 cities around the nation by nine affiliates, including ECDC branch offices in: Denver and Las Vegas.  Established in 1991, the ECDCs African Resource Network has been assisting African community based organizations in the U.S. strengthen their agencies through community, organizational, resource development and technical assistance services. In 1992 ECDC established the Enterprise Development Group (EDG) to provide micro-loans, small business technical assistance, and asset -building opportunities to low-and moderate-income individuals in the Washington, D. c., area. With support from partners in the public and private sectors.

The EDG has served more than 4,000 clients; helped to create and retain more than 1,000 jobs; provided more than 450 business loans totaling $7_8 million and car loans valued at $481,000; and managed an Individual Development Account program that has matched $1 million in client savings, enabling the purchase of $17 million in new assets. As Dr. Teferra has grown ECDC into a national organization serving the African Diaspora in the United States, he has also made significant contributions through educational, socioeconomic and humanitarian initiatives in Ethiopia. He established the Axumite Heritage Foundation to help restore, preserve and promote the ancient and modem cultural achievements of Axum and Northern Ethiopia. The Foundation restored the 19th century Governor's Palace in Axum, the 'Inda Nebr'id, which now serves as the Axum Library. 

He has enlisted support from a number of partners in a program that collects, ships and distributes educational materials to institutions of higher learning in Ethiopia. Since 1993, this initiative has provided more than 647,352 books valued at over $27.6 million to institutions of higher learning throughout Ethiopia. He has also served as the Chair of Help Ethiop~ which contributed $362,215 to assist victims of drought, famine and war in Ethiopia. 

For his many contributions to improving the lives of refugees and immigrants, and his leadership in developing innovative programs and services for low-to-moderate income people, Dr. Teferra has received numerous awards and citations, including most recently an Award of Appreciation from the City Council of the City of Las Angeles and a Local Heroes Award from the Bank of America's Greater Washington Neighborhood Excellence Initiative. SEED salutes Dr. Tsehaye Teferra: 

As a founder and leader of the Ethiopian Community Development Center (ECDC) as well as a co-founder of the Ethiopian Community Center in DC, as a distinguished role model to the Diaspora Ethiopians, Africans and others; in recognition of his commitment to public service for over 30 years, as a venerated teacher who has inspired & motivated his students to achieve academically, for his devotion and commitment to community service and civic responsibilities.