Sister Zebider Zewdie, founder and Executive Director of Mary Joy Development Association (commonly known as Mary Joy Ethiopia) was born in 1963 in the then district of Gammo Goffa, Chincha Woreda in southern regional state. She attended her education there up to grade ten and then went to Arba Minch for preparatory education. Then she joined the Addis Ababa Nursing School. Following her graduation, she served at the Tikur Anbessa, Yekatit 12 and St. Paul Hospitals, and then she served for six years with the Norwegian Save Children in Limu-Genet and Addis Ababa offices. In the course of time, the idea of Mary Joy Ethiopia come to her mind and found it. She had a short stay with The Ethiopian Herald briefing the activities Mary Joy Ethiopia has been doing.