Saturday kitchen for Meghan Markle as she joins 15 women who have resettled in the US from Afghanistan to cook traditional Afghan food over the weekend

Meghan Markle has joined 15 women who moved to the US from Afghanistan to cook traditional Afghan food this weekend.

The Duchess of Sussex created The Welcome Project together with the Archewell Foundation in 2023, which she set up with Prince Harry.

The program aims to “create a safe haven and inclusive environment for women who have recently settled in the U.S. from Afghanistan,” according to an Archewell Foundation press release.

On Saturday, Meghan joined the Southern California Welcome Project for an evening of cooking and storytelling.

Mina’s List, the foundation’s partner, brought together fifteen women with the Duchess to prepare traditional Afghan dishes such as Ashak and Mantuu, both a type of dumpling.

The foundation’s partner Mina’s List, together with the Duchess, brought together 15 women who prepared traditional Afghan dishes such as Ashak and Mantuu, both a type of dumplings (the preparation of which is pictured above).

The women showed Megan how to fill and fold the dumplings properly so they keep their shape while cooking (photo above)

Then the group of women sat down to discuss their personal stories and the “support they find among this intergenerational group of women.”

Foundation partner Mina’s List has been working with women activists and political leaders in Afghanistan since 2014 to strive for greater gender equality.

It helped evacuate and resettle more than 2,000 Afghan women and families in 2021 through independent and coalition efforts.

With many women now settled in Southern California, Mina’s List and The Archewell Foundation have joined forces to “provide community and support to these remarkable women as they begin to rebuild their lives in the U.S.,” according to the press release.

This comes after it was revealed late last year that donations to the Archewell Foundation have fallen by $11m (£8.7m) in 2023 – leaving a £537,000 loss – with the boss and right-hand man of the couple, James Holt. received a huge pay increase of 280%.

The Sussexes released their charity’s annual report in December and a glitzy promotional film showcasing their good works into 2023, but it has also emerged that finances have slumped.

An income tax return filed in the US showed that donations had fallen to just over $2 million (£1.6 million) in 2022 – compared to $12.9 million (£10.3 million) in 2021, a stunning drop of $11 million (£8.7 million).

And its 2021 profit of $9 million has plummeted due to a lack of donations. The Archewell Foundation made a loss of $674,485 (£536,357) last year, as revenues were $2 million but costs were $2.67 million.

In 2022 there were only two major donors giving around $1 million (£795,210) each. The year before, an unknown wealthy donor gave them $10 million, but there was no repeat in 2022.

It follows a tumultuous year for the couple, which saw Harry’s vitriolic memoir, Spare, top the bestseller lists but their personal popularity ratings plummet.

The couple (pictured at the Invictus Games in September 2023) set up their Archewell Foundation after leaving the royal family and say it is an ‘impact-driven global non-profit organization putting compassion into action’ that is ‘dedicated to a simple but profound mission: show up, do good’

The foundation’s highest-paid employee is Meghan and Harry’s right-hand man James Holt (alongside the couple in their Netflix Invictus documentary). He was paid $227,405 a year ($180,835), including a $20,000 (£15,904) bonus.

The foundation has filed its annual tax return showing that donations have fallen (top set of circled numbers) and profits have turned to a loss (bottom, circled) – but they still have cash in the bank

They were also the subject of ridicule by popular television shows such as South Park and Family Guy, criticized after claims of a reportedly ‘near-catastrophic’ car chase in New York and lost their lucrative podcast deal with Spotify, where a senior executive labeled them ‘ ******* scammers’.

The couple founded their Archewell Foundation after leaving the royal family and say it is an “impact-driven global non-profit organization that puts compassion into action” that is “dedicated to a simple yet profound mission: show, do good.”

The Foundation employed five people, with salaries totaling $640,441 (£509,285) for the year. Harry and Meghan no salary accepted.

But executive director James Holt, considered the Sussexes’ right-hand man since Megxit, was paid $227,405 a year (£180,835) for 18 months, including a $20,000 (£15,904) bonus.

This was a pay increase of around $170,000 (£133,000), compared to his starting salary of $59,846 (£47,641) the year before.

Holt’s 2021 salary did not reflect the full 12 months of work – it was only for six months – because he joined mid-year, it is understood.

Despite the 2022 loss, it appears the foundation, described as a ‘not-for-profit’ organisation, still has around $8.3m (£6.6m) in cash and assets.

The charity still has reserves available and an Archewell spokesperson disputed Holt’s pay rise.

The spokesman said the accounts showed the charity was doing well, managing its finances well and was likely to have millions to spend each year.

High-profile foundations sometimes receive a large amount of funding in the first year, which is then used over a number of years.

If a foundation already has a large amount of money in the bank, this may cause them to limit fundraising in the future.