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The Artisans

Soko Rafiki works directly with the crafts people whose goods are sold. These artisans are from all over Africa and their numbers are growing.
Read about the artists

Be a Part of Our Market of Friends

There are many ways that you can become a part of our Market of Friends. Read more about the many ways you can get involved.

Shop with Us!

We're building a market place where you can find unique wares by African artists and crafts people.
Browse through our store.

Meet our Founders

Robin Varnado and Linda Stolz are the founders of Soko Rafiki. Robin and Linda launched Soko Rafiki as a means to combine their humanitarian interest in Africa with their love of the African aesthetic.

Linda Stolz

Linda Stolz is the volunteer coordinator for Global Alliance for Africa, a foundation that works to economically strengthen community based organizations and women's cooperatives so that they can care for orphans in their communities.

Linda also founded the Global Alliance Students for Africa, a consortium of primary and secondary schools that was started as a way for concerned students in the Chicago area to unite with other groups to inform themselves about African issues and effect change at a grass roots level. Students for Africa groups travel to East Africa to connect with African students and community members to help make the world a little smaller. SFA has collected and sent 10,000 books to nearly two dozen schools in four countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda) and have started four community libraries. The group has planted 300 trees in Tanzania, raised money for nutrition and clean water programs, pig and goat programs, and a vocational training program for bicycle repair.

Linda and Robin travel to Africa and buy products directly from African women and men. They have provided seed money in some cases for groups to initiate or expand their programs.

Robin Varnado

Robin Varnado first traveled to Africa in January, 2005 with her friend and co-founder of Soko Rafiki, Linda Stolz. Here she met hard working artists and craftspeople who longed to offer their beautiful products to the world. These hard working African people profoundly affected Robin and from this transformative experience Soko Rafiki was born.

In addition to Soko Rafiki, Robin serves as Advocacy Coordinator for Exodus World Service, an organization that mobilizes Christian volunteers to assist refugees entering the United States. At Exodus Robin works to mobilize volunteers to use their position as established members of society to speak up on behalf of refugees. Robin also serves as a volunteer for Global Alliance for Africa and leads educational and work trips to East Africa on behalf of Global Alliance.