Fermina Gómez ( also known as Ocha Bi, timbelese Olodumare meaning at the feet of the Almighty) was a priestess of Yemaya and a child of the two waters (Ochun and Yemaya). She is credited with bringing the secrets of Olokun to Cuba from West Africa. She is also known as the founder of one of the largest ramas or branches of the Lucumi/Santeria religion, the Egwado (named after her village in West Africa). Ferminita was Madrina to Alfredo Calvo, her last surviving godchild. She lived to be 107. Her spiritual name, Ocha Bi, means "Ocha is here."
I want to add that even though the post above says that she was from Egwado, which I think means Egbado, Egbado is not a village its the name of a clan of Yoruba people who now go by Yewa and mostly inhabit Ogun state in Nigeria. In the early 18th century the Egbado towns(Ilaro, Ayetoro, Imeko, Ipoki, and Igbogila) were subjected to the rule of the Oyo Empire so these parts were very much involved/impacted by the Transatlantic slave trade as slavery was huge sector of the Oyo economy. After the fall of Oyo between the late 18th century and early 19th century, the Egbado were able to achieve independence but Dahomey and other groups of people who profited off slavery would continue to subject the Egbado to slave raids. By the mid 1800's several Egbado towns were destroyed and the Egbado lost their autonomy, the raids continued until slavery was finally abolished and it became unprofitable. I am not sure what period Ocha Bi or what part of Yorubaland she was kinapped from but its highly likely that she was Egbado. Egwado and Egbado sound very similar when pronounced but in West African Yoruba its spelt differently and as I mentioned earlier Egbado refers to a Yoruba speaking group of people, its not place but there are several towns founded and inhabited by Egbado people. Additionally this is a very brief and condensed part of the history of the Egbado people.













