Earlier in October, Mina’s List was honored to join the Archewell Foundation and Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, for a holiday dinner in celebration of Thanksgiving with recently resettled Afghan women leaders as part of The Welcome Project. This program supports refugee Afghan women who are adjusting to new lives in the United States after being forced to flee Afghanistan. During the dinner, the women shared inspiring stories of their leadership and resilience in the face of incredible adversity.
The evening was hosted at the Our Place store in Los Angeles, providing the attendees with an opportunity to bond over food, the shared value of creating strong communities, and the power of leadership and storytelling. Marie Claire published an exclusive story on the event, which was also attended by Mina’s List leadership and Shiza Shahid, founder of Our Place.
Mina’s List is a proud partner of The Welcome Project. Since last year, we have helped build a community of Afghan women in Southern California—supporting those specifically with a background in leadership, activism, advocacy, and journalism, and providing them with the tools to translate their skills to their new context. This event follows a series of gatherings and training sessions that have taken place over the past year. This has included training sessions focused on community advocacy, meetings with women policymakers, and a joint event where the program participants and the Duchess of Sussex came together for a powerful afternoon of cooking together and storytelling.
These events build on our extensive work with Afghan women since 2014, both inside and outside of the country. Our founder and president, Tanya Henderson, said at the event, “I founded Mina’s List on the principle and evidence that when women lead, both in government and in civil society, societies are more peaceful, stable, and just.” She added, “For the fantastic Afghan women that we work with, the Welcome Project offers the opportunity to build connections and find their voice in the U.S. so that they can continue to advocate for peace and justice from where they are.”
A highlight of the evening were the remarks to the group by the Duchess. She spoke of the importance of being part of community and keeping traditions alive during the U.S. holiday season. She shared of The Archewell Foundation’s goal to “show up and do good” in the world, and how the Welcome Project’s emphasis on shared meals and intimate gatherings helps foster connection. The Duchess described how, “when you show up in your community, you find a group that makes you feel at home, but often you also find yourself again.”
This sense of community, along with storytelling, is especially critical for refugees fleeing situations of violence and persecution. Palwasha Hassan, Senior Technical and Program Director for Mina’s List and a recently resettled Afghan woman leader herself, spoke at the event about the power of poetry in Afghan tradition. She shared that, “poetry is not just an art, but a way of coming together, sharing stories, and honoring each other’s journeys.” Following dinner, she recited a poem by author, poetess, and Mina’s List fellow, Shafiqa Khpalwak, which spoke of an Afghan girl’s personal hope. The powerful poem can be seen to represent all women’s courage in the face of adversity and inequality.
The event was hosted at Our Place, a lifestyle brand founded by women’s rights activist and entrepreneur, Shiza Shahid. Shiza, who is also known for co-founding the Malala Fund, has a long track record of advocating for the rights of women and girls. She spoke of the brand’s mission-driven ethos and alignment with Mina’s List and The Archewell Foundation: to foster connection and community, using the power of food, cultural traditions, and storytelling. The evening’s menu and food was prepared by renowned Iranian chef, Shane Fatemian, and featured delicious flavors that honored the rich culture of Afghanistan. Mina’s List is deeply thankful to Our Place, its inspiring team, and Chef Shane for their collaboration with The Archewell Foundation on this event.
As one program participant explained, “these meetings provide an opportunity to share the realities of our homeland with people in the U.S. It helps convey who we are, where we come from, and the reasons behind our presence here. Most importantly, these few hours together allow us to feel part of a supportive community.”
Mina’s List will continue implementing the Southern California Welcome Project with the support of The Archewell Foundation over the coming year. Teresa Casale, Executive Director of Mina’s List, said to the Afghan women present at the event, “I heard from all of you that you wish to continue our impactful meetings with policymakers and deepening your advocacy and storytelling skills. That will continue to be our shared purpose as we build and grow together.” She continued by thanking The Archewell Foundation for creating a transformative space for Afghan women who now find themselves outside of their home country, “we are so grateful for this approach to working in true partnership and we look forward to creating even more meaningful connections and memories together as one community.”
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