Mariama Njie, And Her Triplets. And Her Business Package
By Ramatoulie Jawo
Mariama Njie, a mother of triplets and the founder of Mrayamin Baby Gifts, has made a remarkable shift from journalism to entrepreneurship in the competitive baby gift market. Her story is one of courage, resilience, and determination.
Initially, Mariama’s career was rooted in journalism, where she spent years as a reporter with The Voice newspaper. Passionate about telling important stories, her life took a dramatic turn when, at the age of 21, she became a mother of triplets. Balancing motherhood and career became a challenge, but it also sparked the beginning of a new journey.
With a deep love for her family and an unwavering passion for work, Mariama decided to step away from journalism and focus on her family while pursuing her entrepreneurial dreams. In 2023, she launched Mrayamin Baby Gifts, a business inspired by her own experiences as a mother of triplets.
Through her business, Mariama aims to show parents that they don’t have to choose between raising a family and pursuing their dreams. She offers a unique range of baby essentials, helping new mothers ease their journey with essential baby products.
In an exclusive interview with Kerr Fatou, Mariama shared the challenges of being a first-time mother of triplets.
“Being a young mother of triplets at the age of 21 was incredibly challenging. While some women may manage to balance work and motherhood, I felt that, for me, it wasn’t possible. When I had the triplets, I realized there was no way I could leave them at home and go to work. I didn’t think I could manage both at that time. It felt like I had to choose between focusing on my career or taking care of my children. At that moment, I decided that my priority was to care for my three babies, especially since Allah had blessed me with them all at once. Once they grew up, I would return to work—that was my plan from the start,” she said.
She shared the challenges of balancing her work while caring for her three young children in their early years. It was during this time that she came up with the idea of starting a business that would support other new mothers by offering a comprehensive package of baby essentials.
“My business idea was inspired by my own experience and challenges as a new mother with the aim to reduce some of the stressed for other new mothers like myself,”she added.
Mariama shared the difficulties of managing three children simultaneously, pointing out the challenges she faced in balancing childcare with running her home-based business. She emphasized her need for productivity and engaging tasks, both at home and at work, which have now been replaced by the constant demands of caring for her triplets.
“Being a mother to even one child is challenging, let alone three. As a first-time mother of triplets, it’s still new and overwhelming. Managing three babies at once—when one is sleeping while the others are awake—is incredibly demanding. It comes with its fair share of difficulties, but I believe that in anything you do in life, if you want to find balance, you will. And that’s exactly what I do with my business. Since my business is home-based, I’m able to manage everything from home,” she said.
Mariama shared that during the day, she prioritizes her children’s needs while her husband is at work. In the evenings, or when someone is available to assist with the children, she dedicates time to her business.
She also mentioned that her husband plays a key role in helping care for the children, which allows her to focus on her business, especially when she has orders to fulfill.
Despite the challenges she has encountered, Mariama believes it’s possible to be both a mother and successful. She stressed that being a stay-at-home mother does not mean one cannot achieve greatness.
Describing her brand, Mariama explained that it’s designed to be a solution for new mothers, with a particular focus on empowering stay-at-home moms.
While she wouldn’t claim her business is the best in the Gambia, she views it as a unique offering for mothers, rooted in her own personal experiences and the challenges they face.
“We focus on solving specific problems faced by young mothers rather than following what others are doing as a mother. Myself, I understand the physical and emotional journey of pregnancy and the stress it brings to both mothers and their families,”she emphasized.
Mariama is seeking additional financial support to grow her business, as her numerous business ideas are hindered by a lack of funding.
“I really need support for my business, I never received any. If I would say everything is actually from my business and the greatness that we are doing. I believe if I have support or someone to invest in my business. Mariamin Baby Gifts would be able to create more employment opportunities for other young women. Because already we are making a positive impact so imagine if someone steps in to support these young women here who are not only empowering other women like me out there, but also supporting young people especially new mothers. So I am pointing out to anyone out there being a Government or non-Governmental organization who can invest in myself and business to support me,”she appealed.
She mentioned that as she continues to navigate the challenges of the coming months, she hopes to partner with hospitals, particularly maternity wards, and is appealing to both the government and non-governmental organizations for support to help grow her business. Currently, she employs two full-time staff members.
Supporting this determined young mother of triplets will not only aid in her business expansion but also create more job opportunities, especially for stay-at-home mothers.