Holiday traditions are often built around the idea of togetherness—cooking, sharing stories, and passing down customs across generations. However, for many Afghan women who have relocated to California, their new experiences are shaping fresh memories, often with friends who understand the bittersweet joy of celebrating far from their homeland. Meghan Markle aims to support these women through a community that honors both their cultural roots and new beginnings.
On a Saturday evening in Venice Beach, California, I join the Duchess of Sussex for dinner with members of Mina’s List, an organization focused on empowering women in politics and human rights, and participants from the Southern California chapter of the Archewell Foundation’s Welcome Project.
Celebrating culture and community under lantern-lit skies
Founded in 2023, the Welcome Project was established by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s foundation to assist women who have resettled in the U.S. from Afghanistan. The project now has 11 branches across the country, including in San Antonio, which the royal couple visited earlier in March.
During a February cooking event in Venice Beach, the duchess met many of these women, and the warm rapport among them is evident as we enjoy Middle Eastern-inspired dishes created by Soho House chef Shane Fatemian, an Iranian immigrant. The garden of Our Place, a woman- and immigrant-owned cookware company, is lit by lanterns, and the night flows with shared stories and poetry, all reinforcing the theme of connection.
As the duchess addresses the group, she acknowledges the emotional weight of the holidays, noting, “As they approach, they bring up so much emotion for people,” and speaks to the comfort found in new communities, despite the longing for their countries of origin.
With characteristic empathy, the Duchess of Sussex checks in on each woman, following up on earlier conversations from a previous cooking event. Her ability to make everyone feel at ease and valued is a testament to her skill in connecting with others, making her presence feel both personal and uplifting.
When two guests read poems filled with both hope and sadness—written by members of Mina’s List and the Welcome Project—the duchess is visibly moved. She emphasizes the power of sharing their stories, asserting that “the power of you telling them and sharing them with each other… will help propel the change we all dream of,” referencing the emotional depth of the poetry.
In the wake of the Afghan government’s collapse, Mina’s List has helped evacuate and resettle over 2,000 women leaders. Its executive director, Teresa Casale, reflects on how the organization, which had never operated in the U.S. before, was drawn to the Welcome Project’s mission, considering it “the opportunity of a lifetime.”
The women I meet share backgrounds in social activism, with many having worked in government and journalism. Their stories are marked by a profound sense of isolation, compounded by the loss of their professional roles and the erasure of progress in women’s rights within Afghanistan.
The dire situation for Afghan women continues, with many barred from jobs, education, and movement without a male escort. Yet in California, these women are finding new possibilities. One woman recounts teaching soldiers vital language skills after arriving in the U.S. following 9/11. Another describes helping newly resettled families navigate the challenges of housing and paperwork in the pricey California market.
Thanks to the Welcome Project and Mina’s List, these women have found a sense of home. One attendee fondly remembers her first event with the group, saying it gave her “a lovely feeling that I’ll never forget.”
The duchess highlights how the Welcome Project is a model for transforming immediate needs into long-term solutions. Reflecting on the struggles these women have faced, she shares that it is deeply rewarding to see them emerge from such hardships, emphasizing the personal impact of hearing their stories of reunion and separation.
The Duchess of Sussex supports Afghan women through meaningful connections
When discussing the broader sense of community, Meghan Markle expresses that no matter the cultural differences, “there’s actually so much we have in common.” She also notes the joy in exploring each other’s new rituals, which many of us experienced through the shared meal and poetry of the evening. Even if some words were foreign, the emotions behind them were universally understood.
“You find comfort in things you know, but you find so much community and connection in things you don’t know,” she reflects, recalling her work with the Hubb Community Kitchen in London, where women found solace together after the Grenfell Tower fire.
The women of the Southern California Welcome Project, according to Meghan, embody immense resilience. Despite the upheaval they’ve endured, she notes that moments like these remind them that their lives are just beginning anew, “a very different chapter.”
As the conversation turns to the holidays, the duchess shares the joy of watching her children, Archie and Lilibet, embrace the magic of the season. She fondly reflects on their growing excitement as they approach their ages of understanding, eagerly anticipating Christmas traditions through their eyes.
For Thanksgiving, she mentions the Sussexes’ low-key celebration, emphasizing the importance of sharing the holiday with friends who may not have family nearby. One such friend, she reveals, is feminist icon Gloria Steinem, who joined them for a previous Thanksgiving.
Despite the star-studded company, the Sussexes’ Thanksgiving is much like any other American family’s—complete with meals, games, and a guitar. For the duchess, ensuring that Archie and Lilibet experience the “magic” of traditions is paramount, with festive rituals creating lasting memories.
As our evening concludes, the women of Mina’s List continue to chat and laugh, with one later describing the duchess as “a center of energy.” She reflects on how the duchess’s warmth and humility surpassed her expectations, noting that Meghan truly cares about what happens to them.
Before leaving, I ask the duchess how Americans can make Afghan women feel more at home in their new communities. Her answer is simple but profound: “Just think about how you’d want someone to treat you… how would you want someone to open their arms to you?”
