The New American Association of Massachusetts’ Campaign Is Supported by British Royals

The Crown is not just a name; it is not just the name of a popular Netflix series, which made its die-hard fans happy earlier this year by releasing Season 6. The Crown is also synonymous with the British Royal family. Which, as you may know, is one of the world’s most avid and generous charities. 

Regardless of the intricate, at times dramatic, relations among those who belong to The Crown, all Royals are prominent philanthropists. The late Lady Di – Princess Diana of Wales – was arguably the most famous Royal philanthropist, who changed for the better the lives of millions of people in the United Kingdom and around the world. Her sons are walking in her footsteps, something we can witness even in our state, Massachusetts, which, paradoxically, was the cradle of the American (i.e., anti-British) revolution nearly 250 years ago. Prince Harry, who “was born not to become king” and lives in America, and his American wife Megan Markle have thrown their support behind an initiative launched by The New American Association of Massachusetts (NAAM) and The Office of Refugees and Immigrants (ORI). 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are the founders of the non-profit organization The Archewell Foundation, which has backed the new initiative in Massachusetts and motivated a number of sponsors to take part in this unique program aimed at helping Afghan refugees. 

Afghan Women Refugees Pursue Meaningful Activities and Foster Community 

This program is specifically designed to help women from Afghanistan who, if they observe Sharia laws, are not supposed to do paid work. Not-for-profit handicraft activities don’t fall under this category, so Afghan women refugees can weave, sew, and make all sorts of souvenirs, which can be sold to the public through The New American Association of Massachusetts. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s grant, the purpose of which is to support “women-led programming for recently resettled Afghan women to help build more inclusive and connected communities,” was given to the Massachusetts-based Afghan Women Workshop as part of Harry and Megan’s Welcome Project, which supports similar activities at 11 locations across the United States. The workshop, which launched in Lynn, MA in November 2022, offers Afghan women an opportunity to engage in work-like activities not prohibited by Sharia laws and communicate, make friends, find child-care support, and foster community. English language training is embedded into the workshop as well. 

According to the organizers of  The Afghan Women Workshop, as they mentioned in a phone interview with The Boston Globe, they realized that Afghan women refugees “are very much isolated,” often stuck at home when their husbands start working, often with the help of NAAM. Therefore they started helping Afghan women to become involved in some meaningful activities outside of their homes, said Natasha Soolkin of The New American Association of Massachusetts.
“We started bringing them to the center for this purpose only — to boost their energy and feel better about themselves and kind of introduce them to each other and have them meet,” she continued.

Many of the women they worked with made clothing for their families. So, The New American Association began supplying them with donated fabric and materials for their craft. This is how it all started. 

Soon, the program began selling the clothing at markets and craft shows. Last year, the group made more than $50,000. And then it received a grant from The Archewell Foundation. 

From Sewing and Weaving Together to Welcome Dinners and Market Sales 

Today, the Massachusetts workshop brings together over 20 Afghan women from Lynn, Newburyport, and other parts of the state, enabling them to connect with one another and their communities, as well as hone their long-held skills. 

Handcrafted clothes and souvenirs made by the women are becoming popular items sold at craft shows, markets, and other events around Massachusetts. The Afghan Women Workshop has also organized Welcome Dinners, supported by the Archewell Foundation grant. Meals prepared by the women are shared with family, volunteers, and other Afghan women whom program participants invite to join their community.

According to The Boston Globe, NAAM received $3,300 from The Archewell Foundation as support to the Welcome Dinners, as well as $25,000 to help organize other activities. These include financial education, which helps Afghan women understand the basics of budgeting, savings, and banking in the United States. 

Extensive Support from State Agencies 

The NAAM initiative for Afghan women has received plenty of support from a number of Massachusetts government agencies, first and foremost The Office for Refugees and Immigrants (ORI). 

ORI- The Office, as it states on its website, “administers programs that provide direct services to clients through a network of resettlement agencies, faith-based organizations and ethnic community-based programs and organizations, which have the capacity to serve the culturally and linguistically diverse needs of newcomer populations.”

The Afghan Women Workshop is just that – an ethnic community-based NAAM program helping a newcomer population, which really needs help, to adjust to a new way of life in a new country. Therefore, it was natural for The Office of Refugees and Immigrants to co-found The Afghan Women Workshop together with The New American Association of Massachusetts. 

Another notable benefactor is The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which has been awarding annual Afghan Refugee Support to Schools Grants to school districts that have a minimum of six Afghan newcomer students. This translates into some valuable assistance to Afghan women, who come from a traditionalist society where practically all families have children and where childcare is women’s responsibility. 

Charities, Markets, and Royal Gifts 

Charitable donations to the Massachusetts program for Afghan women got a considerable boost after The Duke and Duchess of Sussex became a major donor through The Archewell Foundation. Given growing donor interest and continued state government support, the outlook for The Afghan Women Workshop is bright. 

You can contribute to the future success of  The Afghan Women Workshop in different ways, from donating or volunteering to purchasing some of the beautiful items made by women from a Central Asian nation with rich cultural traditions but a difficult, often tumultuous history that has made tens of thousands of people flee Afghanistan.

Please contact NAAM or ORI or us (you can find our coordinates below). Visit one of numerous markets and craft shows where handicraft items made by Afghan women are sold – Massachusetts has lots and lots of them. We especially recommend the Vintage Bazaar New England, which has a number of locations around our state. 

What is good for Royals may be good for us common people as well – right? Let’s try.

PS       Soon, we expect more good news from The Archewell Foundation. Please stay tuned for updates, visit our dedicated website and the social media – Facebook and Instagram.

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