‘In our culture, you never eat alone.’ Lessons from my Nigerien great-grandmother

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
"On Fridays after school, I help out at our family's restaurant by wiping down tables and sweeping the lobby. My maman, Aissata M’baye, started this restaurant in 2019. But she’s been running her own businesses since 2006.

My mom learned about entrepreneurship from her grandma, Hadjia Mecca. Hadjia ran an okra soup shop in Niger, and my mom started working there when she was 14. My maman says Hadjia was a tough lady, and an amazing cook.

"She started her small business in front of the house, selling local food," my mom says. "It was delicious. And little by little, everybody in the town knew about it. So everyone comes there for dinner."

In our culture, you never eat alone. You always have to invite people around you. Sometimes you even have to force them, if they're shy, to come and join you.
AISSATA M’BAYE
When my mom was 22, she immigrated to the U.S. She settled in Seattle, and at first, she took any job she could find. But she got tired of working for others. So, inspired by Hadjia, she started her own business.

My mom remembers being a kid and watching Hadjia work constantly to run her business and raise her family.

"She's always there, and never takes a day off. She works seven days a week," my mom remembers.

Now, my mom works seven days a week. And she’s also a fierce advocate for us, her family. Hadjia taught her that, too.

When my mom was a little younger than I am now, she would get in fights at school. She remembers how Hadjia would support her.

"She would always come to the school and defend me," my mom says.

Hadjia not only put her time into her family and her business, but she also she gave back to the community. She supported other working women in the markets, and neighbors were always welcome to come by her house to eat dinner— usually okra soup— and chat.

"In our culture, you never eat alone," my mom says. "You always have to invite people around you. Sometimes you even have to force them, if they they're shy, to come and join you.”

My mother does the same by inviting my cousins to our house whenever she cooks a big pot of thieboudienne."...