Dear Daughter
Episodes
Reaching milestones
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Bella is originally from the UK but now lives in Dubai, where she is raising her daughter who was born with global developmental delay. She tells Namu...
What makes a man?
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Did you ever look at your life and think you’d never end up here, raising children you once couldn’t imagine having? Namulanta Kombo catches up wi...
Keeping traditions
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tamaki talks about her daughter’s Seijin no Hi, Japan’s Coming of Age Day, the annual January celebration for young adults in the country who have...
Surviving my daughter’s killing
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When 19-year-old Ann from Florida, USA was shot by her boyfriend in 2010, her family were thrust into a nightmare, one that meant taking the agonising...
Being a girl dad
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ajit, a dad from India, tells Namulanta about realising just how tough the world can be for his daughters as they grow up in a male dominated society....
The gift of life
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Brenda, a Canadian mother living with chronic kidney disease, was facing a long and uncertain wait for a transplant, until 2013 when her daughter Kiel...
Dear Daughter is back!
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Namulanta Kombo is collecting letters of advice from around the world, to create a handbook for life for her daughter Koko – and daughters everywher...
Leaving for college
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Shelley’s daughter leaves for college – it’s a thrilling moment for everyone, but at the same time there’s a sense of loss. What will happen t...
Grieving you
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Paola’s daughter Camilla was beautiful, with curly hair and big eyes like her mother. She loved bath time and eating mangoes. But she also had a sev...
Don’t fear menopause
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Annice Mukherjee is a hormone expert – she’s spent her career helping women deal with menopause. But when she develops breast cancer at 41, she be...
The nappy braai
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Azola’s friends welcomed him to fatherhood with a surprise baby shower, called a nappy braai. Instead of the chilled Saturday barbecue he was expect...
Walk away the first time
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Julia writes a letter to her future daughter with some advice from her own life: if a man ever hits you, walk away the first time. When her...
The sexy novel at Christmas brunch
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Malaka’s written her first book – it’s a romance novel with a lot of sex scenes. How will her family react?Malaka Grant published her first roma...
Bombs overhead
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Firyal and her daughter were asleep when the Yemeni civil war reached their town in 2014. They woke up to the sound of bombs overhead – Firyal was t...
Advice for partying
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every year Norwegian high school graduates paint the town red for “russefeiring”. It’s a month long period of intense partying to celebrate the ...
Divorce is not a dirty word
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Vandana’s marriage ended in divorce, she felt stigmatised and outcast. After a long and turbulent legal process, she ended up retraining as a d...
Prison and parenthood
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rahab went to prison when her children were little. She’d been taking part in carjackings and armed robberies. Once she got caught, she spent six ye...
The bra fashion show
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Mahynour’s daughter gets her first bra, it’s Mahynour who is the most excited – her little girl is a young lady now. But it also brings M...
Coming soon: Season 5
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hot on the heels of our Stars season, stand by for Dear Daughter season 5, starting Friday April 25th.Namulanta Kombo is collecting letters of advice ...
Encore: The dating to-do list
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Wen was raised believing sex is taboo but she knows she must change for her daughter’s sake. Her grandmother was ashamed to talk about it. Her mum a...
Encore: Without mum
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A bereaved father on parenting after grief. When Ani’s daughter was just two years old, his wife was diagnosed with cancer. Her illness dominated th...
Mama Seebz: Social media fame and dealing with haters
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
TikTokker Mama Seebz on how she reacted when her daughter Aya (@notjustaya) told her she wanted to be a famous content creator. Seba got frustrated wi...
Kalki Koechlin: Bollywood and beauty standards
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What should you do when your daughter tells you she doesn’t feel pretty?Kalki Koechlin has acted in blockbuster Bollywood films, written and produce...
Audrey Akande: The Receipts and becoming a ‘girl mum’
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Audrey Akande is best known for being one half of The Receipts podcast. She joins Namulanta in the studio to share the letter she’s written for her ...
Dr Rae Wynn-Grant: Surviving bears, jaguars, and motherhood
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Wildlife ecologist and nature presenter Dr Rae Wynn-Grant joins Namulanta to share the letter she’s written for her daughters about how to overcome ...
Adjoa Andoh: Bridgerton, bodies, and bizarre pregnancy cravings
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh joins Namulanta in the studio to share the letter she’s written to her three children. She tells them the importance of...
Dear Daughter: Stars is coming soon!
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Namulanta is back with more letters from parents to their children. But this time there’s a celebrity guest list! We’ll hear personal stories of f...
Choosing to be child free
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Yvonne was on a bus on a trip to Europe when she had a realisation. There’s more to life than having kids, she thought – I could travel the world....
Growing up polygamous
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Farida grew up with 19 siblings in a polygamous family in Kenya. She’s been married five times, and four of those times have been to men who have ot...
The little girl with trauma
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Regina had a difficult childhood. Her parents both struggled with addiction, and she developed substance abuse problems of her own. She thought she’...
Diagnosed by a stranger, with Ria Lina
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Ria Lina finds out she is autistic after an audience member picks up on it at one of her shows. What does being autistic mean for her? She te...
My daughter, who I thought was my son
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Gretchen’s daughter is transgender. When she first told her parents, it came as a shock – but Gretchen wants to tell her daughter she’ll always ...
Blending families
03 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rehman becomes a widower with three children after the sudden death of his wife. Over a year later, he remarries a woman with three children of her ow...
A public apology from a besotted mother
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Malini has a lot of regrets about her parenting - but her daughter Raji remembers things differently.Malini raised her family in a big multigeneration...
It’s just hair, with Joy Kendi
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joy Kendi doesn’t want her hair to define her – so she shaves her head.Joy is an influencer in Kenya who’s known for her personal style – some...
Moving on
12 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mary receives a menacing message and decides to leave her home. Mary has lived in Florida ever since her university days. It’s where she fell in lov...
The dating to-do list
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wen is raised believing sex is taboo but knows she must change for her daughter’s sake. Her grandmother was ashamed to talk about it. Her mum and da...
The people-making business with Janine Harouni
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
New mum Janine Harouni is anxious and lonely, so why do the other mums online look so happy? She was performing stand-up comedy while 40 weeks pregnan...
The perfect trap
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Anna fights her eating disorder, knowing she needs to be healthy if she wants to be a mum. She spent half her life dealing with the condition, until s...
Making amends
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Musikari risks his life fighting corruption in Kenya, but at what cost to his family? Namulanta’s father is a political, an anti-corruption campaign...
Being Superwoman
08 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Solene endlessly juggles work and parenthood, but something must give. She loves her job and wants to keep her identity, but she's working just to aff...
Elbows out with Nadiya Hussain
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nadiya Hussain, TV chef and winner of The Great British Bake Off, writes a letter to her 13-year-old daughter about how to make space for herself wher...
Coming soon: Season 3
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re back! Join us weekly from March 1 for the third season of the award-winning BBC World Service podcast Dear Daughter.Namulanta Kombo is putting...
Bonus: The Documentary
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Other people’s children. The mothers who leave their own families behind to care for someone else’s. This special episode, from The Documentary, i...
Holding on to love: Dear Daughter live
18 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Disastrous dates and how to make a relationship last. It's our second live show in Nairobi, Kenya. We hear a tale of a truly disastrous date and find ...
Finding love: Dear Daughter live in Nairobi
11 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How to approach dating. Tips and laughs, as we explore relationships and the highs and lows of dating, in our first ever live show. Hear from our gues...
Dear son
04 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“Fly the plane”, volunteer and keep asking why. Andy is an airline pilot from Northern Ireland. He tells his son to avoid being thrown off course ...
You are wanted
28 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a girl! Bucking the trend of wanting a son. Shakti was keen to have a daughter, but explains that in India there’s a lot of cultural pressure...
Trying to conceive
21 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A letter to a daughter who doesn’t exist yet. Lucia has been trying to get pregnant for three years. She tells Namulanta that she was inspired to be...
Keep growing, always change
14 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrating how kids change as they grow. Claire thinks that nostalgia for babies and small children shouldn’t stop you from embracing the next stag...
On apples and trees
07 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Turning into your mother can be a joy and a trial. When Jacinta in Johannesburg became a parent, she found that her perspective on her own mother chan...
Making friends
30 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Scummy Mummies on friendship, bullying and embracing the chaos of parenting. Comedians Helen Thorn and Ellie Gibson met when their children were l...
Generation gap
23 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How to give advice people will actually listen to. When Anna in Switzerland was younger, her grandmothers used to give her advice – but she dismisse...
Without mum
16 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The challenges of parenting as a widower. When Ani’s daughter was just two years old, his wife was diagnosed with cancer. Her illness dominated thei...
Grandma’s gift
09 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Follow your dreams - but remember your roots! Instead of hearing from a letter writer, Namulanta talks to Alejandra about what it meant to receive let...
Spend some, save some
02 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Talking to children about money can be awkward, but it’s important to start young. Davinia Tomlinson has written a book of money advice for girls ca...
I’m not fine
26 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why are women expected to endure pain in silence? Meera grew up in India and has battled multiple illnesses for most of her life. They’ve impacted h...
Kindness: My superpower
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The generosity of others helped Monique rebuild her life. She’s gone through more trauma than most, having fled genocide in Rwanda, lived in refugee...
Kids? No pressure
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You don’t need to give me a grandchild. Simone promises having children will be up to her daughter. She says in her letter: “Make your own decisio...
Healing letters
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The 'Queen of Letters', Isabel Allende, on writing, processing grief and a full garage. The best-selling author wrote to her late daughter, Paula, whe...
Your dad, my dad
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marian’s dad left when she was little. Now, she’s giving her daughter “the most special gift”. She looks at her husband and daughter playing t...
Coming soon: Season 2
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re back! Join us weekly from 27 February for the second season of Dear Daughter, winner of Podcast of the Year at the 2022 British Podcast Awards...
Growing pains
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Teenage conflict, pushing boundaries and the unexpected letter. “You won't understand why I seem to like being mean.” Angie writes to her daughte...
I left for you
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Raquel left her children to work abroad, so she could give them a better life. “I still remember the pain.” Her daughter Alyssa shares her feeli...
Birds and bees
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“Nothing is off limits.” Daisy on how she will talk to her daughter about sex: smashing taboos and overcoming old-fashioned attitudes. Episode 13 ...
Empty arms
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Deborah writes letters to her daughter Sibby, who was stillborn at 40 weeks. “We were delighted to meet her, even though my heart was broken into a ...
The confidence of a cockroach
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“Jump off the dumpster of doubt!” Comedian Tumi Morake on challenging her fear of failure, what her daughter can learn from a cockroach, and why s...
Fly bird, fly
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“Learn something bigger.” Nkule wants her daughter to discover life beyond her home town. It’s a story of two cultures colliding and stereotypes...
Seize the day
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“I never want to disappoint someone”. The pitfalls of people-pleasing and not taking risks. Tatiana reflects on the fear of disappointing her pare...
Faith in you
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The best of both worlds? One new baby and two religions. Mum and dad are trying to figure it out. How will they bring up their daughter? Episode 8 let...
Perfect match
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Matchmakers, a fake engagement ring and love; welcome to the marriage game. “They’ll wonder, are you good enough for their son? The question is, a...
Just ask mum
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
My mum’s letter to me! Namulanta’s own mum, Dorcas, is back on the show with a letter to share. She talks with her daughter about self-preservatio...
Pah Pah and Ma Ma
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An escape by boat, pirates, prejudice and a “strength that lies within”. Charlene’s family was among the Vietnamese “boat people”, fleeing i...
Self-defence guy
03 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Robin tries out blue acrylic fingernails. He advises his daughter to “always trust your instincts” and to “be prepared for anything”. He makes...
'Wife material'
27 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Under pressure to tie the knot? Elle says, “Everyone is praying for me to get married.” She grew up thinking marriage was essential, but as she’...
Thongs and eyebrows
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Underwear, razors and teenage angst. The perils of trying to fit in and be noticed. It’s a tale of accidental wedgies, stealing (sort of) from dad a...
For Koko
10 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Three mums, new and old letters - the beginning of a handbook to life. “When I go, my memory is going to go with me”, so it’s time to start wri...
Introducing: Dear Daughter
25 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Funny, heart-breaking, insightful and ultimately honest – help Namulanta create a handbook to life. She won the BBC’s International Podcast Compet...