Understanding the Continuing Tragedy in the Sahel

It is difficult for an outsider to understand the tragedy of the Sahel: visiting the arid regions in this band of land on the Southern edge of the Sahara, everything looks unreal. Under a blazing heat, people live for the next rainy season, for the next good crop, all the while facing the constant danger of hunger and quiet death as seen in 1985. Despite this, their spirits are high.
Some villagers, nomads and urban residents have decided for themselves what they need to do and then set to work doing it.