Girma Challa Daka was born in a small town called Aira, located in Western Oromiyaa, Ethiopia. His father emigrated to the United States in 1985 to escape the Ethiopian Communist regime. In 1987, Girma joined him, and his five sisters and one brother followed thereafter.

Girma graduated from Lalo Aira secondary school in 1985. The school was constructed by German missionaries and has become one of the top schools in Oromiyaa. His college education came after he'd emigrated to the US, obtaining a BS in Civil Engineering and a MS in Infrastructure System Engineering, both at the University of Minnesota. He currently works for the City of Saint Paul as a Civil Engineer.

Even though he now lives in the US, Girma is always thinking about those he left behind. He thinks of his friends who had to drop out of school to help support the family farming operations, friends who lost their lives or their parents to AIDS and who have lost hope.  His dream is to reverse the cycle of poverty and give a better life and mental peace to today's impoverished youth. 

He currently lives with his wife, Ayantu, and daughter, Waadaa.