Rahil Ata

Ata was born in Beirut in 1826 to Greek Orthodox parents.[2][3] She attended the American Mission School for Girls founded by the American missionaries Eli and Sarah Smith.[2][4] They adopted her when she was eight years old.[3] Although Sarah died just two years after her adoption, Ata did not return to her family home and was cared by the missionaries.[3] She later worked as an Arabic translator for the missionary[2] and changed her religious affiliation becoming a Protestant.[3] Following her graduation Ata was employed as a teacher at the American Mission School for Girls.[2] She translated children's books from English into Arabic.[2]

She met Butrus Bustani at the missionary office.[2] Although her birth family did not approve their marriage, they wed in 1843.[2][3] She joined the Evangelical Church in 1848.[3] Ata shared her husband's views about the necessity of reform.[1] She particularly encouraged him to support girls' education.[3] Ata assisted him in the translation activities and in the establishment of the first literary club of Beirut in 1847.[2] She was also active in the establishment and management of the National School in Beirut.[3][4] It was the first educational institution which adopted a secular program in the Ottoman Syria.[1] It served students from different religious backgrounds.[1] Ata later established her own school in Hassbiyah near Beirut.[1]

Ata and Bustani had nine children, four boys and five girls.[5] Their first child was Sarah who was born on 3 April 1844 and was named after Sarah Smith.[5] Their second child was Salim who worked with his father in various activities.[5] Their last child, Alice, was born in 1870.[3][5] Ata was a model for her daughters who all received education.[3] One of them, Louisa, married Khalil Sarkis who was the founder of the Lisan al Hal newspaper.[2][3] The family lived in the Zuqaq al-Blat neighbourhood in Beirut in the 1860s.[6] Ata died in 1894.[2]