In 1998, a young man shabbily dressed and looking very dirty approached Mr. Genesis Tinshu. Mr. Tinshu almost ran away out of fear that the young man was insane and trying to attack him. Then, he noticed that the young man was showing him a piece of paper signed by a prominent law officer. According to the document, the man had been released from prison. He was in need of financial assistance to reunite with his family in a distant city. Thank God, Mr. Tinshu had some money on him that could buy some food for the man and help pay his way home. Mr. Tinshu took him to a nearby bus station and saw him off.
Later he began to wonder what would happen to the man when he got home. Would he be accepted? Would he adjust properly to his new life, after seven years of imprisonment? How long would the little money he had been given last? Would he be able to live a sustainable life? Mr. Tinshu hoped had empowered the man to live a responsible life that would prevent future imprisonment.
But later that same year, Mr. Tinshu returned to the prison and, surprisingly, he met the same young man behind bars for a fresh crime. He ignored the man when he called out to him but felt deeply for him and wished that he could help.
Towards the middle of that same year, Mr. Tinshu came to know two young women, both of whom were students. They were being sexually exploited by married men in exchange for their education. Poverty had driven them this far. He felt for them and wished he could help them, somehow. Perhaps if they could operate a sustainable business, that would provide for their needs and free them from sexual molestation.
As a potential solution to these many problems, Genesis Tinshu founded Helps International (HINT) in Cameroon in 2002. Through his work with HINT, he hoped to improve the health and social and economic well-being of the underprivileged in his community through education, skills development and job creation.
If you would like to help you can read more on how you can help, or contact us.