Mamia Aïssa akaberekwa muna 1922 mumusha weHaouz, pedyo neBensekrane muTlemcen Province yeAlgeria kuna Elabdli Aïssa. Paaiva nemakore mana mhuri yake yaifanira kutiza nokuti baba vake vaitsvakwa nemapurisa. Vakatamira kuOujda, Morocco, asi sezvo baba vake vaitsigira Ben Badis vakatamira zvakare kuGhazaouet. Vabereki vose vari vaviri vaitsigira dzidzo yevakadzi uye Aïssa, mushure mekupedza dzidzo yake yepuraimari akatumirwa sebhodhi kuchikoro chesekondari muMascara muna 1935. Munguva iyoyo, akatanga kufarira kodzero dzevakadzi uye akanyora nyaya yaitaura nezvekusunungurwa kwevakadzi vechiMuslim. Paakapedza kudzidza muna 1942, baba vake vakamuendesa kuyunivhesiti imwe chete yaiva muAlgeria kuti anodzidzira kuva nyamukuta. Vakasvika zvinenge panguva imwe chete nekupinda muAlgiers
panguva yeNorth Africa Campaign yeHondo Yenyika II. Vachidzorera dzidzo yake shure, vakabva muguta guru uye akadzidzisa kwegore asati adzokera kuchikoro ndokupedza kudzidziswa kwake somuberekesi.