COOKING UP A STORM
Watch moment Meghan Markle dons apron to cook traditional Afghan food with group of refugees
The duchess laughed as she prepared meals such as Ashak and Mantuu
MEGHAN Markle listened as she joined a group of refugees and cooked traditional Afghan recipes in an evening of heartwarming storytelling.
The duchess, 42, donned an apron and a smile during the Southern California Welcome Project as she chatted over food with 15 women who fled to the States from Afghanistan.
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Meghan heard their stories about finding support in each other after leaving their home country, while they prepared a variety of traditional dumplings such as Ashak and Mantuu.
Their inspirational meeting on February 10 was part of a collaboration between the duchess' The Welcome Project, and Mina's List, founded by Tanya Henderson.
The Sussexes created their project through the Archewell foundation in 2023, while Mina's List was created nearly 10 years ago and has aided the evacuation of more than 2,000 Afghan refugees and resettled them in the US.
Now, Archewell and Mina's List are working together to help support vulnerable women in their new communities.
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A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan's foundation wrote that the couple sparked the project to provide "a safe haven and inclusive environment for women who have recently resettled in the US from Afghanistan".
At present, there are around 11 active Welcome Projects across the States.
They aim to help refugees by forming bonds in their community through a variety of classes, from photography to hiking.
Meghan was also inspired to take part in the cooking project after helping at the Hubb Community Kitchen in 2017 after the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy.
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A message on Archewell stated: "By facilitating women-based programming, The Welcome Project also brings access to critical resources and opportunities that not only supports the women participating in The Welcome Project, but also improves the lives of those around them – their families and their communities."
It comes after Harry and Meghan rebranded their Archewell website and created Sussex.com.
The pair faced fierce backlash for the controversial move and were slammed for "cashing in" on their royal titles.
Sussex.com was designed by Article, a Canadian digital agency that Meghan previously used to build her lifestyle blog The Tig and Archewell.
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Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams blasted the couple for using a royal coat of arms as their crest.
“They have every right to use the coat of arms, but this involves using loopholes to effectively bring back SussexRoyal and exploit their royal status," he said.
Meanwhile, royal expert Angela Levin dubbed the couple "pathetic" for using the royal coat of arms on their new website.
She told The Sun: "They are cashing in on their royal connections that they say they hate so much.
"Queen Elizabeth II would be furious because they promised they wouldn't do that."
The late Queen had previously banned the couple from using 'SussexRoyal' in January 2020, when Meghan and Harry stopped being senior members of the royal family.
In September last year, it was revealed the couple were planning to launch new projects.
On Sussex.com, biographies on Harry and Meghan include the line: "The Duke and Duchess are committed to their mission: Show Up, Do Good.
"They hold the value that charitable work should not simply be a handout, but rather a hand held."
The site also reads: "The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex is shaping the future through business and philanthropy.
"This includes: The Archewell Foundation, Archwell Productions, patronages, ventures, and organizations which receive the support of the couple, individually and/or together."
Prince Harry's bio describes him as "a humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate, and environmental campaigner".
It reads: "He has dedicated his adult life to advancing causes that he is passionate about and that advance permanent change for people and places."
The site also describes his time in the Army, names the organisations he's founded, and that he's a New York Times Bestselling author after writing Spare.
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Meghan's bio says she's "a feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity".
The website says: "Her lifelong advocacy for women and girls remains a constant thread in her humanitarian and business ventures."
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