What we know about Chikaba comes mainly from his biography, which was written after his death around 1752. in.

Chikaba was born into a princely family in the region that includes present-day Ghana, Togo, Benin, and western Nigeria. She was kidnapped as a young girl by Portuguese slave traders, who had her baptized with the name Teresa. She was then sold into slavery and ended up in Spain, where the Duchess of Arcos purchased her and took her into her household. While serving the duchess, Teresa was deeply impressed by her mistress' piety and began to imitate her in her religious life. At the same time, she was given the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to enter a convent.

In 1703, after the death of her mistress, Teresa was freed from slavery. Her mistress advised her family to provide Teresa with the necessary dowry so that she could enter a convent. After several refusals, she was finally accepted into the community of penitent nuns of the Third Order of the Dominicans of Saint Mary Magdalene in Salamanca. There she earned the respect of her fellow sisters for her profound piety, generosity towards the poor, and her healing gifts. The cause of her beatification is currently being promoted by the Order of Preachers.