Utcha Sawyers is reimagining what community can look like for marginalized and underserved communities. Through the Yemoja Village Affordable Housing Project, she seeks to help youth and families find a place of belonging.
Sawyers is the CEO of BGC East Scarborough and MAAT Youth Innovation and Cultural Centre. As someone who grew up in Scarborough herself, she understands the community and sees firsthand the challenges young people face—food and housing insecurity, and the quiet struggles many carry alone. This inspired the Silent Struggle Campaign, which highlights the urgent housing crisis affecting Toronto’s youth and young families, and helps raise funds for Yemoja.
We had the privilege to sit down with Sawyers and find out more about Yemoja Village and the journey that led her to it.
Utcha Sawyers, pictured in front of the sign for the MAAT Youth Innovation & Cultural Centre, just adjacent to the location of the impending Yemoja Village.
Sumeya Farah/Change Made Press.
Q: What does the ‘silent struggle’ mean to you?
Silent struggle, for me, is a way of life. Like when you arrive in Canada as a newcomer, especially if you come without support, you’re immediately in a silent struggle. From the minute you step off the plane, you’re trying to find meaning, purpose, and belonging.
One of our value statements is that we’re a place where people belong—a good place to be. For youth navigating social systems, it’s often a struggle, and culturally, we’re often taught not to vocalize challenges or traumas. Many youth are unable to express their struggles or voice their needs, which can lead to more trauma. There isn’t always community advocacy to speak on their behalf, especially in safe spaces where they feel heard. The silence stems from cultural norms around expression, and when I look at newcomer populations and first- or second-generation Canadians, these values persist in families.
It’s hard for youth to admit they’re food insecure or that they’re couch-surfing or sleeping in stairwells. Even if they’re dressed in expensive clothes, they may be struggling financially or lack stability. We want to create systems that encourage youth to use their voices, eliminating the need for them to silently push on.
Q: Can you tell us about your journey to becoming CEO of the Boys and Girls Club?
It’s been a long, exciting, and adventurous journey with many peaks and valleys. I was born in East Scarborough, at Scarborough General, on the eighth floor. My parents immigrated from Trinidad and Jamaica by way of England.
Growing up in East Scarborough, I’ve worked all over the city, but nowhere beats the livelihood, community, and culture of East Scarborough. I was educated here, took my first steps in employment here like many of our youth, and my community and culture have shaped my career path and ambitions.
I’ve always focused on the impact and my passion, rather than money. I had the opportunity to work as an educator, running Toronto’s first Afro-Caribbean science and art school with my husband. For almost ten years in Scarborough, we provided a unique, self-defined space for Black children and families looking to circumvent the traditional education system.
That experience put me on a path toward community development. I then worked in food systems at FoodShare for about nine years, covering everything from food development to procurement and policy. I was an inaugural board member for Food Secure Canada, focused on food policy and community voice in food security. My specialty in food justice includes food equity and embedding infrastructure through policy to shift the paradigm.
This journey led me to BGC East Scarborough and MAAT Innovation Cultural Centre, where my mandate has been to expand work with children and youth from cradle to career, embedding principles of cultural competence, safety, and dignity. This intentionality led to Yemoja Village, as I had a deep understanding of the community here. I recognized youth were being displaced in housing crises, often house-surfing or sleeping in stairwells to stay within their community. We were seeking not only to develop a youth centre but to ultimately create a space with affordable housing options.
As the Executive Director of the BGC East Scarborough, Utcha oversees the programs and initiatives conducted by the Centre.
Sumeya Farah/Change Made Press.
Q: What does community look like to you?
Community is multifaceted. It’s not just people. It’s topography, places, smells. I remember as a child, growing up in Markham and Eglinton, walking along the strip between Mason Road and Markham Road. You’d pass a burger place and get the smell of charcoal burgers. Then you’d pass Fishers, a Caribbean store, with the smell of saltfish and brine from the salted meats. You would just get the aroma of the community.
Community is a fabric of individuals, places, sounds, music, religion, institutions, and more. Most of us went to school or daycare in this community—in a church, community centre, or classroom. It’s all these transient components that make up this collective. Community is a space of support, with micro-communities and microcosms that are the stabilizing components of what makes up a thriving, healthy community.
Q: Was there anything specific that inspired Yemoja Village?
Need. Our goal and mandate are to serve local children and youth. Our core values include advocating for those who are marginalized. The city is at a crossroads with housing, and we work with a unique population—youth, many of whom face challenges around identity acceptance and safety within their homes.
Emergency housing isn’t a long-term solution for creating healthy, sustainable living circumstances. We saw youth bouncing between emergency centres nightly just to find a place to sleep. We recognize that housing, food, and clothes are paramount for stability. The Black Youth Action Plan helped us survey local youth, and housing, employment, and food security were the biggest issues identified. Since we secured a space with surplus land, we could look at housing as an option. We were inspired by clubs in the U.S. and Canada with housing components, and we wanted to replicate a meaningful model locally.
Q: How would you describe Yemoja Village to somebody?
Yemoja Village is a unique place providing housing opportunities that are culturally competent. We’re being intentional about the experience you get when you walk in the door. Community is not just the individuals but a tapestry of institutions and functional pieces. It will also be a green building that considers the environment.
Yemoja Village will have 47 units, including family and individual units, with some reserved for elders. Even though it’s youth-focused, having elders creates opportunities for cross-generational learning and guidance.
The Village is close to MAAT Youth Innovation and Cultural Centre, which provides employment programs, childcare, cultural arts, and connections to educational institutions. We’re hoping to complete the village in 2025, having it recreate our ancestral support systems, with services and resources right at your doorstep.
We’re looking at the whole community experience and not just a housing development or a place to store people. We’re seeking to create communities that provide as much support as possible.
Utcha speaks with the staff of BGC ES, preparing to leave for a nearby community donation drive they’re hosting for the neighbourhood.
Sumeya Farah/Change Made Press.
Q: What are some of the challenges for an organization trying to take on a project like this?
The number one challenge is that although we’re a children and youth organization, people often might think of us as just a recreation centre or community centre. What isn’t always visible is the breadth of our work—we provide programs and resources for youth violence prevention, youth justice programming, autism support, community food support, and much more.
During COVID, we served as the emergency services provider for East Toronto and later Southeast Scarborough. Housing is new for us, so building our capacity in that area has been a learning curve. I personally have some knowledge of real estate, but this has required new skills.
We’ve partnered with United Way and other nonprofits with decades of experience in nonprofit housing to help us. One of our community partners with over 20 years in housing is managing the facilities while our staff shadow them. So, we’re learning how to eventually manage on our own.
It’s not just about building housing; it’s about managing it—being prepared for plumbing issues or social dynamics challenges. We’ve had to learn zoning processes and other first steps before even breaking ground. Our board of directors has been a great resource, providing their own expertise as well as helping us hire specialists in housing to make this project a reality.
Q: How have you and your team handled the challenges?
We were realistic from the start, expecting downs as well as celebrating the ups. Our focus is on maintaining peace, pushing forward, and celebrating progress with the support of our community. We’re fortunate to have strong local support, from our counsellors to even the mayor, who recently voiced support for our vision.
Community is about having shoulders to lean on, and we celebrate the good times while relying on community support during the challenges. Our phenomenal staff and board have really driven their areas, bringing resources and talent to make sure this project comes to fruition.
Q: Considering the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, how does Yemoja Village relate to Goal 1, no poverty, and Goal 11, sustainable cities and communities?
Sustainability for us involves the environment and modelling behaviour for our children. Children learn by observing, so Yemoja Village will model sustainability from its design to day-to-day experiences—like having a community, rooftop gardens, bike spaces, programs, and more. It permeates their understanding, making it a way of life.
As for tackling poverty, we have to address mental poverty before financial poverty. Marginalized communities often struggle with understanding their own value and potential, which can be a barrier to financial stability. Simply injecting money into a community isn’t enough if we don’t address mindset and microeconomics. Our aim is to build community stewardship and an understanding of how local spending impacts us.
Yemoja Village is based on the African tradition of MAAT, which is about balance, universal giving, and community. Our philosophy is that I don’t progress unless my community progresses, and we want children and adults alike to live this purpose-driven approach.
Q: What change is Yemoja Village bringing about?
Yemoja Village will be a unique model for Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Indigenous communities, one that can be replicated in urban and rural settings across Canada. There’s a shift happening as people move from cities to rural areas for access to cleaner, greener spaces, and we have to ensure our communities are served everywhere.
Yemoja will create a framework with core components that can be adapted locally. We know that what works in one neighbourhood might be different in another. This model emphasizes localized community building, creating meaningful change, especially in affordable housing, by understanding and addressing each community’s unique needs.
Yemoja Village is more than just a housing project; it’s Sawyers’ vision for a thriving, supportive community rooted in cultural pride and belonging. By combining affordable housing with resources like job programs, community services, and educational opportunities, Yemoja Village provides the foundation for youth and families to grow and succeed within their own neighbourhood. Inspired by the African philosophy of MAAT, which emphasizes harmony, balance, and community, Sawyers is creating a place where young people feel at home, empowered, and connected to their roots.
As Scarborough evolves, projects like Yemoja Village highlight the importance of building spaces that address real, local needs while preserving the cultural richness of the area. This model of culturally-centred community development has the potential to transform neighbourhoods, offering a new approach to affordable housing that could inspire similar projects across Canada.
Utcha Sawyers’ responses have been paraphrased in some places for clarity.