The Woman BossThe Woman Boss
Mariama (Maria) Manga Gómez is 40 years old, and she also has 40 children in her care. To get to her house in Lamin, you can ask the neighbours, as most will be able to direct you to the house “with lots of children.”
The children living with her range in age from 4 to 22. Some are Muslim, while others, like her and her husband, are Christian. Many are there because their families cannot care for them; others are orphans. Although only five are Maria’s biological children, she considers them all her own.
In The Gambia, the smallest country on mainland Africa, there are an estimated 100,000 orphans. Poverty and a lack of family planning are recurring challenges for many Gambian households. In many cases, families who cannot care for one of their children leave them with relatives or close friends, who can rarely refuse to help.
A mother, teacher, and social worker, Maria’s case is much more unique. Known as “Aunty Ma” by the children in her care, she refers to her home as a Care House because she does not consider it an orphanage. It all began when she was working at the Canary School in Lamin.
“In a class, you see different categories of kids, you see different types of children. Some come to school without food, some come to school without being taken care of, some come to school very badly off,” Mariama explains.
This beginning, she says, was not simple. “I did it—taking in children and helping them—when I had nothing, when I had a very small salary, when I did not even have enough for myself. Some I took for classes, free classes. Some I took into my house just to take care of them.”
It was during that time, when three children from her school were orphaned, that she had a revelation.
“I was going to a very lonely place when I passed by an area full of garbage, and I heard a baby crying. I turned back to see where the sound was coming from, and when I walked toward it, I found and picked up the baby. When I looked at the baby, I started crying,” she shares.
Shortly afterward, she met a Spanish man from the Canary Islands who, upon learning about Maria’s situation and her desire to help more children, put her in touch with a friend, Patricia Ramírez of the NGO Harit Gambia.
“She introduced me to this girl at the end of 2018. On December 31st, she messaged me. We chatted, and she told me the new year would be wonderful. I said, ‘Amen.’ Shortly after, we found this house,” she recounts, her voice filled with emotion. “And that is why I say this is God’s calling. You know, when God calls you, He enables you. It was never difficult. It was as easy as taking water and drinking it.”
For Maria, however, the most difficult part has been dealing with some families. Shortly after taking in the three orphaned children, their relatives came to take them back. A few weeks later, the youngest child passed away.
“It was the hardest part of my life because she was fine here; she was okay. What made it even harder was that when they took her, she was crying and telling me that she did not want to go. But I told her there was nothing I could do because this was her family,” she recounts, as her characteristic smile fades and her voice breaks.
Fatoumatta, the little girl who was about 11 years old at the time, left crying while holding Maria’s hands. Later, when she became ill, Mariama was able to visit her in the hospital, just a few months before she passed away.
Unfortunately, there are many stories like this.
“One of the children ran back to me, even though the family wanted to take their son. The child came running back and said, ‘No, I want to go back to Mommy.’ It’s very emotional because I don’t want them to be separated from their families.”
For Mariama Manga, it is very important that the children maintain relationships with their extended families. To ensure this, she gives them opportunities to return to their families during holidays and school breaks, strengthening—or in some cases creating—family bonds.
Now 40 years old and caring for 40 children, Maria is renovating her house to ensure there is enough space for everyone. From time to time, she also receives help from volunteers. For her, the most important thing is that the children eventually become self-sufficient.
“My main goal is for them to receive an education, to become independent and self-reliant. That’s what I want for them.”
Walking through her house reveals walls covered in children’s drawings, tables piled high with notebooks, and shoes of all sizes. In the yard, the children play tag and throw balls against the wall. Others help with household chores, washing clothes and hanging them out to dry in the sun.
Maria watches them from a chair with a serene smile.
“It’s a calling, a vocation,” she says, her eyes shining. “This is what God truly wants me to do on this earth before I leave. He wants me to take care of people.”
Mariama Manga GómezThis is what God truly wants me to do on this earth before I leave. He wants me to take care of people.
