Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, made waves in San Antonio this past weekend, diving into the lives of Afghan refugee women with a visit that highlighted the positive impact of their Archewell Foundation's efforts. According to a report by the San Antonio Report, the couple's foundation has been funding the local nonprofit Culturingua in combatting social isolation faced by these women, aiming to foster a sense of belonging through a range of activities from sewing to storytelling.
The couple took their philanthropy on the road, touching down at the Neighborhood Place community center to meet and mingle with members of the Afghan community, arriving on Friday for an hour-long engagement. With the Archewell Foundation's 11 active Welcome Projects across the U.S., this San Antonio initiative stands out as one where community and care intersect, as the San Antonio Report detailed the couple's hands-on involvement.
Embracing the culinary arts and the ties that bind through food, Meghan, clad in a "Diana" jacket from Favorite Daughter, donned an apron to prepare bolani, an Afghan flatbread, alongside San Antonio’s First Lady Erika Prosper and District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo on a date serendipitously marking International Women’s Day. "Meghan gave remarks about how impactful local programs are to Afghan women who experience social isolation after being displaced," reported the San Antonio Report.
Adding to this tapestry of support and solidarity are the home-cooked meals and communal dinners that bear witness to shared stories and shared struggles. Prince Harry, with his britches rolled in service and empathy from his time served in Afghanistan, emphasized the immense value of mental health and the far-reaching influence of even the smallest act of gathering for a meal or conversation in the larger narrative of healing and integration. This sentiment found resonance in the words of Culturingua’s CEO Nadia Mavrakis, “To have so many different people coming together from different backgrounds, refugees, non-refugees, politicians, celebrities, everyday regular people, everybody coming together and sharing a meal was really amazing,” as told to the San Antonio Report.
Their visit, threading connection and hope, also marked the close of the Archewell Foundation's program with Culturingua in July, though the royal couple has been invited back in the fall. The events of the visit, also covered by KSAT, included discussions on supporting the wellbeing of refugee women and culminated in the sharing of not just meals but of moments of understanding and camaraderie.
Amidst all these interactions and engagements in support of the Afghan community, a recent Urban Institute report casts light on the darker threads of these women's tapestry of resettlement in San Antonio – the loneliness, the homesickness, and the challenges of language and transportation. Yet, as one unnamed San Antonio Afghan refugee woman yearned in the report, “I want to connect with someone with whom I can freely express my feelings and problems." This plea underscores the necessity of such initiatives and the remarkable men and women who work to weave these threads into a stronger social fabric.
