Teame Legesse Gebremedihin is originally from Ethiopia. Having grown up in different towns amidst the rolling coffee hills, he knows the landscape of the country’s growing regions. Teame has a diverse professional background which most notably includes working on a humanitarian project with international aid, responsible for providing training on project management (Save The Children U.S.A.).
In 2012, he made the move to Oslo. While the leap may seem unusual or challenging, this has been a great fit for Teame, who is a winter sports enthusiast. He enjoys the solitude of cross-country skiing and the thrill of sledding in Nordmarka. Outside of the winter months, Teame remains active by hiking and regular training. Recently, he started to learn to play guitar.
His meaningful work continued in Oslo, where he has done project work for UNICEF Norge and has held various positions in organisations that promote diversity & inclusion in the city. He also did a stint with Doctors Without Borders and other NGOs, collaborating closely communities benefitting from these services.
His introduction to CCS was by way of an independent coffee project, the Aroma Initiative. Here, his main task was. training farmers and producers how to cope with climate change while growing coffee during harvest season, and planting coffee trees. “I have a real heart for coffee farmers, “ he says emphatically, “Growing up, my grandmother was always conscious of their plight, their labor, and their contribution to our society back home.”
Working with coffee in Oslo, in turn, makes him feel closer to home in Ethiopia. “I spent my childhood where the best coffees in Ethiopia, perhaps even the world, come from,” he explains, “Being at CCS not only serves as a workplace but a home away from home.”
We are truly pleased to have Teame as a colleague. Welcome home, Teame!