Lemma Desta (born 1976) lives in Oslo together with his wife Helen Heamo and their two young sons. Originally from Ethiopia, he now lives and works in Norway.

Lemma Desta holds a master's degree in theology and one in comparative and international education. Having worked as an instructor in a theological seminary in Southern Ethiopian, he now serves as coordinator for the multicultural church network in the Christian Council of Norway and as a member of the Executive Committee for the Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME).