Suraya Sadeed started her life in Kabul, Afghanistan. As the governor's daughter, she lived in luxury, peace, and contentment. When the Soviet Union invaded, she fled, starting a successful second life in the United States. But she never forgot the people she left behind in Afghanistan.

After experiencing a devastating personal tragedy, an idea-no, a mission-struck her.

Under the Taliban, women and girls were being treated inhumanely. They had no voice and no one to help them. Anyone venturing into Afghanistan would find a perilous country with little access to the...