The scent of freshly ground coffee spreads between the shelves in the colorful and cozy café and shop Rafiki on Vestergade in Viborg. On the shelves are handmade leather boxes, unique sculptures from Burkina Faso, and other specialty products. The coffee beans are from Uganda, as are the thick vanilla pods and the handmade, neatly wrapped chocolate.

Behind the social enterprise café and shop are Stig Glent-Madsen and Maj Griffiths, who together run Rafiki, with profits going to Fonden Det Nytter, which among other things helps refugees in Uganda.

Maj Griffiths previously ran Reborn in Viborg, but two years ago she and Stig Glent-Madsen opened the café, which enjoys strong support from volunteers.

– We have about 50 volunteers who prioritize finding time to come and help. It is fantastic and very touching to experience that support, says Maj Griffiths.

Maj and Stig in front of Rafiki on Vestergade in Viborg.

Stig Glent-Madsen and Maj Griffiths welcome you into the cozy surroundings on this sunny July day, where Stig Glent-Madsen passionately tells about people whose lives have changed significantly after they got stable jobs at a company, Equator Chocolate, which produces chocolate in Uganda's capital, Kampala.

– This piece of chocolate was produced by Joan. Before she was hired, she sold flowers on the street with her father. She got a job in chocolate production, and now she supports her mother and is training to become an accountant, says Stig Glent-Madsen.

He speaks with enthusiasm about John Fred, who is paralyzed and sits in a wheelchair. His mother did not want to know him, and his grandmother took care of him. But when John Fred turned six, his grandmother fell ill with AIDS, and she knew she would die from the disease. Therefore, she wanted to kill the boy because there would be no one to take care of him. She failed, and instead, he was left to uncles and aunts who thought he was useless. Now he has a job in chocolate production and for the first time no longer feels worthless. He makes a difference and dares to believe in the future again.

Since Rafiki began importing chocolate from Uganda, it has been possible for Danish-born chocolatier Gustav Gønget and his wife to employ five staff members.

– Gustav's philosophy is that raw materials should not be exported unprocessed from Africa. Instead, they are processed and finished in Uganda before being exported. This creates jobs and a livelihood for many people, says Stig Glent-Madsen, who has been involved in humanitarian work for nearly 40 years.

A meeting in India was pivotal

Stig Glent-Madsen is a trained lawyer and has been a judge in the Vestre Landsret for more than 25 years. Concurrently, he has been active in humanitarian work. He has been the chairman of the Danish Refugee Council and the Church Aid and teaches human rights at Aarhus University.

The commitment to make a difference for some of the world's poorest was ignited in India in 1987, where he met a priest who, using law, helped people achieve better conditions. That meeting would have a decisive impact on the path he chose to take.

– This priest used the law to pursue cases that resulted in better rights for some of the country's poorest. That meeting had a significant impact on me, and I decided to also use law in a progressive and socially transformative way, says Stig Glent-Madsen.

In 1996, he was offered the position of district judge and accepted, but with the condition that he still wanted to prioritize humanitarian work.

In 2019, he took his commitment a step further when he founded Fonden Det Nytter – a decision he first discussed with his wife, as it required a million kroner in start-up capital. The foundation works with three initiatives – aid for refugees in Uganda and Kenya, as well as the operation of a health clinic in Burkina Faso.

– We talked about it and agreed that I should start the foundation. I have received many expressions of support from donors who have said that when I prioritize spending time and money on the foundation, they are willing to back me up. Since the beginning, I have raised eight million kroner for the foundation's three initiatives, says Stig Glent-Madsen.

Fonden Sol og Strand, founded by Margit and Kjeld, has just supported the clinic with 50,000 kroner, which will help ensure the continued operation of the health clinic, where several thousand undernourished children receive life-saving treatment each year.

The health clinic in Burkina Faso is completely dependent on support from Fonden Det Nytter, and according to Stig Glent-Madsen, the help is more important than ever at a time when international aid to Africa has been significantly reduced. – With relatively small funds, I know that I can make a difference. It costs 400,000 kroner annually to run the clinic, which each year sees 4,000 small children with severe malnutrition, he says, showing poignant images of some of the children who have received help at the clinic.

He shares that he was unsure whether to show the picture of the undernourished Masura, as it could be perceived as emotional exploitation. It was only when a nurse assured him that Masura would survive that he decided to use the image in connection with his lectures.

– In the picture, Masura is two years old and weighs only seven kilos when I meet her at the clinic in 2023. When I visit the family the following year, she is the most beautiful little girl with small but sturdy legs and strong arms, says Stig Glent-Madsen.

Masura is now a five-year-old girl and is thriving – thanks to the help she received at the clinic.

The relief was immense when he saw the little girl again the following year, who was so weakened that she was close to death when she was brought to the clinic. The mother had not been able to afford food and clean water for a long time, and it turned out that Masura was also suffering from a severe parasitic infection.

– She received treatment as well as food and drink, and after two months, Masura was healthy, and it is thanks to contributions from, among others, Fonden Det Nytter, that it is possible to operate the clinic each year, says Stig Glent-Madsen.

Both Maj Griffiths and Stig Glent-Madsen have experienced that awareness of Rafiki has grown. The same goes for the sales of, among other things, Ugandan products, which can also be seen in the financial figures. From 2024 to 2025, the company had a revenue increase of 40 percent. This is significant because the profits go to the work of Fonden Det Nytter.

– When we buy goods from Burkina Faso or Uganda, we support local producers who get the opportunity to hire employees. It is a dignified way to create development, says Maj Griffiths.

Whether the help creates jobs in Uganda or saves undernourished children in Burkina Faso, it is about the same fundamental idea: to give people the opportunity to create a better future.

– I feel privileged that I have the opportunity to help, and I get emotional when I talk to John Fred or meet one of the children who have received help at the clinic, says Stig Glent-Madsen.

The health clinic in Burkina Faso, which Fonden Det Nytter supports the operation of.

The health clinic in Burkina Faso was set to close in February 2022, but Fonden Det Nytter has since been able to cover the operating costs.
The health clinic in Burkina Faso was set to close in February 2022, but Fonden Sol og Strand has since been able to cover the operating costs.

The cost of running the clinic is approximately 400,000 kroner per year. It treats around 4,000 malnourished children each year. This means it costs about 100 kroner to help a child.

Rafiki, which means 'friend' in Swahili, sells coffee, chocolate, gifts, etc. from Uganda and Burkina Faso.

Fonden det Nytter obtains funding for its work through contributions from profits from Rafiki, foundations, companies, and individuals. Likewise, the proceeds from an art auction also go to the foundation – fondendetnytter.dk.