Iyalorisa Oseye Mchawi was initiated into the Yoruba/Lukumi faith to the deity Obatala on July 24, 1976, by her godparents, Lloyd Weaver and Marjorie Baynes Quinones, both of whom have joined the ancestors.

Iya Oseye is deeply involved in several African traditional religious organizations. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Ile Ase, Inc., one of the largest African American spiritual families in the U.S. She is also a founding member and Executive Director of Omo Obatala Egbe, Inc., as well as the founder and President of the Yoruba Society of Brooklyn, Inc.

She has worked diligently to raise awareness of the plight of Yoruba traditionalists in New York, across Africa, and throughout the Diaspora. As a spiritual leader and godmother to many, she has united people from diverse backgrounds into a strong spiritual family.

Iya Oseye has traveled to Africa many times, but her deep love for Bahia, Brazil draws her back repeatedly. In 1987, she adopted the Candomblé house Ile Iya Nasso Ile Funfun (Casa Branca) in Salvador, Bahia, as a Sister House, initiating cultural exchanges between the Yoruba Society of Brooklyn and Orisa traditionalists in Bahia. This partnership also led to the creation of the Annual African Heritage Tours to Brazil, conducted by Ms. Mchawi.

She has spoken at notable institutions including the Caribbean Cultural Center, the Museum of Natural History, the Interfaith Institute of New York, Medgar Evers College, and Oloshas United Atlanta.