Our story
Born from the meeting of 2 people…
Joseph is a professional soccer player. He has played in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 in France and won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2022 with Senegal. In 2021, he and his wife started an association to help children in his home country.
Tim is a doctor in France. He has spent more than 12 years of his life overseas (in Africa, Asia, and Oceania). Following a trip to Senegal in August 2024, he and his wife decided to leave France to work with street children in Senegal in 2025.
…and a shared vision
On February 5, 2025, Tim calls up Joseph and says, “I would like to co-found an association with you for street children in Senegal, using sports, particularly soccer, as a tool to help them reintegrate into society.”
Joseph replies, “That’s incredible! I am in the process of creating an association in Senegal with the aim of developing medical care for children.”
There is a moment of silence, then laughter. The soccer player wants to facilitate medical care, and the doctor wants to develop soccer. From this phone call, the shared vision of our association, Graine d’Espoir, is born.