Jember Teferra was born on 21 May 1943 in
Madagascar, the daughter of Generemaria Tereffa and Shiferraw Tereff. Her great-uncle was
Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia. She attended primary school in Ethiopia, but received her secondary education at
Clarendon School for Girls in the
United Kingdom. She then studied nursing at
Tunbridge Wells School of Nursing, becoming a registered nurse in 1965. She later studied for a master's degree in
primary health care from the
University of Manchester. Returning to Ethiopia, Jember worked at
St. Paul's Hospital, Ethiopia before working for the
Red Cross. While imprisoned, Jember opened a clinic and school in the prison. ==References==