Ozora (Ciji) Sanchez — Be Brave Award — Doula Scholarship Winner September 2022

Written by Ozora (Ciji) Sanchez

Ozora (Ciji) Sanchez – The Be Brave Award Doula Training Scholarship Winner September 2022

Hello All my lovelies,

My name is Ciji Sanchez but I preferably go by Ozora. If you want to me find me on social media you find my Facebook under Ozora Sanchez, my Tiktok is @royaloutkast, my YouTube name is Royal Outkast, and my Instagram handle is queen_ozora84. Let me tell you that you that can see the true me and my family on my social media outlets. So please like, comment, and subscribe. (Mind you I am singing that part in my head as I write this because I sing it on my YouTube.)

I am pride wife to my husband Hezekiah. Together we share a tribe of children: Nana (20), Bishop (17), Gidget (16), Peanut Butter (13), Grandma (12), Joy (10), Juju (7), Nelly Belly (4), King (2). I’ve listed all of them under their preferred nicknames. And yes I do call my 12 year old grandma. We have 3 boys and 6 girls. And trust a day in my house, chaotic don’t even describe it. There’s never a true dull moment.

We are originally from Western, New York, where the snow makes you wish you lived somewhere it didn’t feel like your eye balls was about to fall out of your head. Hence why we moved to Texas in January of 2022. All my kids are home schooled by me and my husband. And let me tell you this isn’t any easy task. I’m either chasing a two year old or telling a 17 year old to do his math homework.

Be Brave. When I say my life revolves around my family that is what I truly mean. Every moment of every day I am with one these little creatures that call me mom. I enjoy doing family activities. Especially making tik toks with my daughters. I’m a true goof ball. Just ask my niece Kitty when we have our 2 am phone calls. I enjoy crafting and coming with new ideas to be creative.

And honey when I tell you I have learned how to turn a penny into a hundred dollars I mean it. Try having a family of 11 on a fixed income. We make sure everyone has what they need while not living above our means. I am not sure what else to say about myself, if you want to know just ask.

Now as for this scholarship, to be honest the biggest reason why I wanted this is because being Doula is something that I love. I was a Doula when I lived in New York. It is something that me and my niece Stephanie got into together. I enjoyed having my Doula sisters and being able to be there for mothers to Be Brave. Having 9 kids myself I can tell you that no experience is the same. I sadly was only able to have a Doula with me when I was giving birth to my son Juju. This meant to the world to be able to share this with someone because my husband wasn’t able to make it on time. (Who would expect him to be on time when we already had 6 kids at home). That experience made me want to be able to be there for others.

This scholarship offers me the opportunity to be brave and able to provide support to women like me who may not be able to have a support system. Or even just need someone to be there who can understand what they are going through. Because whew child we already the men think this easy.

Bebo Mia stuck out to me after doing some research into some different communities. Even as far as going to some events. None of them felt like home. I didn’t fit in. But when I found Bebo Mia. I felt like home. I felt like a family. A set of crazy that can match my crazy. People who can accept me for every ounce of who I am. No judgement. Nothing. It was like I was finally being seen a community for who I am. And this is what I need in my life. A family. A community. A home. I  am hoping with this opportunity to be able to build bond that can match what I have with my favorite niece Kitty Cat.

Being a birth worker means the world to me because I am to continue my passion of seeing babies and being able to experience pregnancy without having to do myself again. There’s so many aspects to it that interest me. The biggest part is just being able to fully support someone going through a very vital moment in their life. A completely life changing moment. Being able to help them experience the extra dimension of child birth. Being friend, a counselor, a mentor. Building bonds and knowing I helped someone through it all.

After completing this program I just want to work for you Bebo Mia. Look you chose me BIANCA. So guess what  I’m choosing you. I show my loyalty. Uh huh. Yup your stuck with me. Like for real for real. I’m not going anywhere. So to all you of you at Bebo Mia. Here is Ozora in the raw. I am showing all of me. So I can see all of you.

So BIANCA and all the lovelies who decided I was the Be Brave O.G. I am going to show you why you choose this woman to be your O.G. through strength, hard  work, dedication, and being the original, crazy, goofy woman I am.

Thank you and have a great and prosperous day

And I’m out.

Ozora