Mauritania, and Mali, designed to address long-term and immediate food needs for more than 1 million people. Q: What is Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration, and how does it help? Without trees and ground vegetation, floods and winds sweep away precious topsoil and leach nutrients from whatever soil is left. Countries such as Niger have suffered extensive deforestation, causing much arable land to turn into desert. By encouraging the growth of indigenous trees, World Vision aims to reverse this process, make barren areas fertile and productive again, and help ensure long-term food security. Areas practicing FMNR in Niger have already seen increased crop yields and family incomes double. Q: How much cash does World Vision need? Q: What are the consequences of inaction? The consequences will be recurring cycles of hunger and malnutrition; mass migration from rural to urban areas; extensive loss of livestock; exorbitant food prices; an ever-diminishing ability of affected populations to feed themselves; and continued loss of life. Q: What is World Vision's history in West Africa? World Vision began work in West Africa in 1973 by providing emergency relief in drought-hit Niger. In 1975, we began water, agriculture, and literacy projects in Mali. Currently, World Vision works in seven countries in the region -- Chad, Ghana, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. More than 360,000 children in the region benefit from World Vision child sponsorship programs designed to improve their access to healthcare, clean water, and education, and provide better economic prospects for their families. Learn