As tiny waves sparkle in the sunlight, four young women pause, taking in their surroundings and relishing in their newfound freedom. Gazing across the Rappahannock River, a slight breeze lifts their hair, hair that was once bound and covered. Their faces, now sun-kissed, glow with a health and happiness that they never dreamed would be possible. Oceans and continents away from their families, these ladies have seized an opportunity for education that will change their future. One without fear and filled with hope. One far away from the reign of terror they lived with every day in their homeland. Afghanistan.
The name itself brings to mind a war-torn land where people live in fear. These images are nowhere near as terrifying as what these young women dealt with daily. A once in a lifetime opportunity, however, made possible by a small private school in Essex County, Virginia, and a string of amazing and improbable connections, has transformed the trajectory of their lives.
For more than a century, St. Margaret’s School (SMS) in Tappahannock has been the home for generations of young women dedicated to education, community and service. The historic school, supported and founded by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, overlooks the Rappahannock River. It has long welcomed students from across the world and is home to pupils from Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and across the United States. These undergraduates - affectionately known as “Scotties” after their school mascot, a Scottish Terrier - may come from vastly diverse backgrounds, but together, at the surprisingly small all-girls school, they unite. Instead of clashing, their distinct cultures add depth to the education process. Previous graduates are known to hold their alma mater in the greatest esteem, many of whom provide scholarships and other services so that new students from underserved areas can attend.
Once such alumni became the catalyst that would lead to the freedom of one of the young Afghan ladies, while random internet searches and associations allowed for the addition of three more students. Altogether, the four girls are paving the way for more students from war-torn countries to attend SMS in the future.
The Afghan Scotties include Sadia, Kasool and Shaima. They are not being identified by last names or through pictures of their faces, for fear that may result in the execution of their families, friends, or any others connected to them. No matter the way that they arrived, the process was fraught with terror. It involved multiple parties who secretly funded the girls’ extractions and includes stateside benefactors who have supported nearly all of their educational costs, which is no small sum. The average tuition at St. Margaret’s for an international student, including room and board, is approximately $60,000 a year. Escaping the regime at home remains priceless.
For 20 years, between 2001 and 2021, the U.S. engaged in its war on terror following the 9/11 attacks, eradicating the Taliban from power. During that time, women in Afghanistan saw slow but growing improvements in how they were treated in their country. They made gains in medical care, education, and even representation, as women were elected to government positions. In August of 2021, just a month after American troops were recalled, the Taliban reemerged stronger than ever and instituted some of the most draconian laws in the world, smothering any hope that women had of freedom.
Nearly overnight, it became illegal for girls to seek education past the earliest levels. Women under the age of 45 and girls as young as 14 were being forced and unwillingly married off to members of the Taliban. Women were forbidden from walking alone or unescorted by men, and the head-to-toe burka was once again the only acceptable garment to be worn. Women who had been in college to become doctors, lawyers, or other professionals went into hiding, not leaving their homes for fear of attack. Those fears were justified as domestic abuse became not just acceptable but encouraged. Women who cooked poorly were burned alive in their kitchens, others had acid splashed in their face if their garment slipped, or if they accidentally made eye contact with a man who was not their husband. This was the life the four young ladies at SMS were living every day.
When the troops came home, they left behind translators, guides, and other Afghan men who were paid for their service. The moment that the Taliban took over, they were hunted down and executed. Those few who were able to hide left behind families at risk. One of the girls at SMS came from such a family, and she is desperate to know how her father is doing but is unable to contact him in any form, lest he be caught.
Escape for these girls was not easy. One fled under the cover of darkness, waiting alone in Pakistan for transport to America. Another had to rely on a foreign relative for assistance, as all her family’s money was tied up in Afghanistan banks. Yet for each of the girls, the destination was the same. They arrived at a small, historic school overlooking a river that starts in the Blue Ridge Mountains and ends in the Chesapeake Bay. The school has a cluster of buildings, a mix of old and new, with state-of-the-art labs and dining hall next to historic homes from the 1600s that serve as student housing and offices. Most teachers and students reside on campus, and the sports teams are some of the most competitive in the commonwealth.
Head of School Colley Bell III
Director of Advancement Edwina Bell, wife of SMS Head of School, Colley W. Bell, III, has taken the girls under her wing and has been astonished and overjoyed at the girls’ educational progress as well as their outlook for the upcoming school year.
“This has all been very much a bridge between societies,” she said, adding that when the girls arrived at the start of the last school year, there was a bit of a culture shock – but it quickly passed.
“By the time October came around, the girls came into stride. They’re teenagers, they want to fit in,” Edwina Bell, said, adding that she took the girls clothes shopping where it was “a ball to spoil them!”
St. Margaret’s has much to offer, being on the river, and some of the girls had never been able to wear a swimsuit. As they made friends, and got their feet under them, they started to feel comfortable wearing the blue and grey Scottie uniforms, which include sweaters, skirts, and polos. They participated in sports, celebrations, community events, and holidays.
“One of the things that became important was accommodating their Muslim faith with prayer and observance of traditions,” Edwina Bell said. “They want to fit in, and we want them to feel welcome.”
The Bells came to St. Margaret’s two years ago. Since then, the Bells have come to love the school and have introduced new sports, like rowing or “Crew,” as well as invigorating the student body with a unique scholastic approach. A renewed focus on science, technology, engineering, math - with the addition of arts and river activities - created STREAM, a curriculum that is paired with outdoor learning and river-centric activities. The Bells work has strengthened both the student body and the community. They are hoping to be able to extend the current program and offer scholarships and the opportunity for freedom to a new generations of SMS students.
“There is such a love the girls have for America, that it has given them this opportunity,” Edwina Bell said. She noted that the school’s administration is working to establish an endowment for refugee stud
ents like the Afghan girls, with hopes to widen the access so that any young lady from across the globe facing persecution can and will find a safe home at SMS. In order to facilitate that, they need support, from local, national and international organizations so that students can be sponsored and given the opportunity to live life to its fullest in an environment free from fear.
For now, with the school year starting, SMS is welcoming back the four girls, who were all able to remain in America over the summer. As each return, it is with humility and great joy that the Bells celebrate these amazing young ladies’ strength and accomplishments while supporting their dreams. With the future open to them, the girls have expressed interests in pursuing careers in economics, architecture, computer sciences, and even journalism. For these young ladies, their lives, once filled with terror and darkness, are now overbrimming with possibilities and radiance. They, and the Bells, along with the teachers, staff, patrons, and other students at SMS are building a bridge that will hopefully become a well-traveled path out of the dark and into freedom.