Water for Children Africa (WCA)

In 1993 Richard Butcher M.D. and Vickie Butcher J.D. founded Water for Children Africa (WCA), inspired by the leadership of Reverend Leon Sullivan (Civil rights activist and humanitarian) at the 2nd African-American Summit in Libreville, Gabon.  During the Health Committee session, Dr. Louis Sullivan, the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, recommended that safe water throughout Africa be established as a long term goal of the Summit.  Vickie attended the Summit as a surrogate for Dr. Butcher who was President of the National Medical Association at the time.

Previously, Vickie had discovered her love for the African people, and culture, while traveling several times to the continent with her mother, Margaret Powell. The spotlight on “unsafe water” at the Summit sent her on a quest to find out why African children continue to die from contaminated water in the modern era.

She was touched by the humanitarian need of her people, and didn’t hesitate to embrace the call to devote time, effort, and money to bring help to the children that need it most. Supporting Vickie fully, NMA President Richard O. Butcher M.D. donned the mantle of founding President for WCA.

Over the last two decades, Water For Children Africa has established projects in the following countries: Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Liberia, Ethiopia, South Africa, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Senegal, The Gambia, and Cameroon.  A woman who lives what she teaches, Vickie has visited 17  countries, of the 54 on the African continent, always looking to provide water when asked.

www.waterforchildrenafrica.org