Tsige Teferi- Nhema

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” ~ 2 Timothy 4:7

Tsige Teferi passed away on May 1, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family. Born on January 21, 1968, she was the beloved spouse of Professor Alfred Nhema and a devoted mother. Together, Tsige and Alfred raised three children—Kudzai, Edzai, and Mariamawit—and, together with Chipo, they have four children.

Tsige earned her Bachelor of Science from Dalhousie University and a Master’s degree in Project Management from Cavendish University in Zambia. She devoted her life to humanitarian service across Canada, Botswana, and Ethiopia, holding several leadership roles. In Botswana, she served as Chief of Party with Global Communities from September 2021 to March 2022 and previously held the same role of Chief of Party with Project Concern International from November 2012 to August 2021. In Ethiopia, she served as Chief of Party with Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) from October 2011 to August 2012, and earlier as Chief HIV/AIDS Advisor with the Clinton Foundation from August 2007 to November 2010. She also served as Deputy Country Director for Family Health International (FHI) from January 2004 to July 2007, and as Project Manager with the Ethiopia-Netherlands AIDS Research Project (ENARP) from April 2002 to December 2003, contributing to HIV cohort studies and research in Addis Ababa.

In late 2022, she continued her service as a Manager with the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia. Her final professional role was as Housing Manager with the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) Halifax, a position she began in March 2025 and held until she fell ill later that year.

She will be remembered for her compassion, integrity, and lifelong commitment to helping others. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, colleagues, and the many communities she served.

The funeral service will be held on May 6, 2026, beginning at Saint Gabriel Ethiopian Orthodox Church, 1608 Hammonds Plains Road, Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia, followed by a procession to St. John’s Anglican Church, 2187 Larry Uteck Boulevard, Bedford, Nova Scotia. The service will include prayers, hymns, tributes, and reflections.

Burial will take place at Brookside Bedford Community Cemetery, Wardour Street, Bedford, Nova Scotia, followed by a reception and a time for family condolences at St. John’s Anglican Church.

May her soul rest in peace, and may her memory be a blessing to all who knew her.