Dear Daughter
Dear Daughter is an award-winning podcast from the BBC World Service where parents write extraordinary letters to their children, sharing real-life experiences, parenting advice, family stories, and life lessons. Hosted by Namulanta Kombo, each episode features a guest reading a letter they've written to their children or future children, offering advice and personal stories. The podcast aims to create a 'handbook to life' for Kombo's daughter through the wisdom of parents worldwide. Listeners are invited to share their own letters via WhatsApp.
Episodes
The importance of education
What shapes a father’s determination to educate his daughters? In South Sudan, Marco tells Namulanta Kombo why making sure his four daughters go to school matters so deeply to him, carrying forward a value passed down by his own mother, who even sold precious family cows to keep him in school.To find out more about Dear Daughter, to take part, or read our privacy notice, please go to www.bbcworlds
Adoption day
Fleur lives in Singapore. She tells Namulanta Kombo about adopting her daughter after years of fertility treatment, and the moment her life changed with just 24 hours’ notice. Now, the family celebrate her adoption day each year.To find out more about Dear Daughter, to take part, or read our privacy notice, please go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter. Or you can contact the team via WhatsApp
The world you’ll inherit
From Jakarta, Indonesia, Yasmina writes a ‘Dear Son’ letter to her teenage son about growing up in a changing world. Yasmina set up a grassroots climate project for families after becoming increasingly worried about the impact of environmental change on her children. She tells Namulanta Kombo about her own childhood, why she wants her children to understand the environment, and the everyday choice
Mother and son champions
Skiers Sarah and Lasse made history as the first mother and son duo to compete at the same Winter Olympic Games, representing the Mexican team together.For Sarah, it was never just about medals. In this ‘Dear Son’ episode, she tells Namulanta Kombo about everything that went into getting there: the travel, the long training sessions, the sacrifices, and the determination it took to keep going as b
Lessons from childhood
As a child, Yeiwah was forced to leave Sierra Leone, growing up far from the country she has always called home. Years later, after becoming a mother, she returns with her young daughter, determined to give her what she never had: confidence and a strong sense of self.Yeiwah tells Namulanta Kombo that being bullied as a child left a lasting impact, making her fiercely protective of her daughter’s
Donor conceived
Emma, who is from Denmark, grew up with openness about her donor conception from the very start. When she was a baby, her parents wrote her a letter explaining how she came into the world, putting it inside a children’s book they made especially for her.Emma and her mother Ida tell Namulanta Kombo about that decision to share the story early — what it meant for Emma as she was growing up, how thei
A tractor load of love
How far would you go to help your child achieve their dreams?Corne drove the family tractor across South Africa to raise money so her daughter, Marconette, could represent her country at the World Tug of War Championships in Switzerland.She and Marconette tell Namulanta Kombo how the extraordinary idea was born, and how the journey had the unexpected consequence of bringing communities together al
A different birth day
Lejla was born as a result of sexual violence during the Bosnian war. Adopted as a baby, she grew up in the UK.In this episode, she shares her difficult origin story with Namulanta Kombo. It’s a powerful journey marked by resilience, but also moments of deep pain.This isn’t a typical Dear Daughter story. This time, the daughter is the one writing. Lejla has written a moving letter to her birth mot
A mother of many
Anita from Singapore is a mother whose first fostering experience didn’t go to plan, but she was encouraged to try again.Twenty-three years on, she has opened her heart and home to 28 foster children.She tells Namulanta Kombo about the difficult moments, and the joy and purpose she’s found in giving children a safe, loving place to grow.To find out more about Dear Daughter, to take part, or read o
Reaching milestones
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 Namulanta Kombo that her journey into parenthood has looked very different from what she once imagined, and she’s had to reshape her expectations around milestones, progress, and what ‘typical’ development means.One of the most powerful moments she share
What makes a man?
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 with her old Kenyan school friend, Fiona. When they were teenagers, having children felt like something far off in the future. But life moves on, and now they both have sons who are the same age.This episode is the first of a few Dear Son conversations wit
Keeping traditions
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 turned 20 years old in the past year.In a letter to her daughter, she looks back on the day and everything it brought with it: the excitement, the realisation that her daughter is stepping into adulthood, and the beautiful kimono that her daughter wore.
Surviving my daughter’s killing
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 decision to withdraw her life support.In this intensely moving account of violence and loss, Ann’s mother, Kate, tells Namulanta that instead of pursuing the traditional court process, she chose something almost unheard of at the time - restorative
Being a girl dad
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.He’s funny, honest and totally unfiltered as he talks about being on a huge learning curve as a ‘girl dad’, and admits that parenting is far harder than any management job he’s ever had.And the conversation ends with a very emotional moment, as Ajit
The gift of life
Brenda, a Canadian mother living with chronic kidney disease, was facing a long and uncertain wait for a transplant, until 2013 when her daughter Kielah stepped forward with an extraordinary act of love.Kielah volunteered to donate a kidney, but when tests revealed she wasn’t a match, she refused to give up. Instead, she entered Canada’s paired exchange programme, donating her kidney to a stranger
Dear Daughter is back!
Namulanta Kombo is collecting letters of advice from around the world, to create a handbook for life for her daughter Koko – and daughters everywhere. This season, Namulanta speaks to Brenda and Kielah from Canada, who tell her about the extraordinary and life-saving decision Kielah made for her mum. Ajit from India reflects on the moment he realised just how challenging it is for his daughters to
Leaving for college
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 to their family when one piece of it is missing?So Shelley writes her daughter a letter with all the advice and memories she wants her to take as she heads off on her new adventure. She hides it in her daughter’s suitcase to find when she gets there.And then
Grieving you
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 severe mental and physical disability, and died aged 15 after nearly two years of palliative care.Paola listened to Dear Daughter while she was in the hospital with Cami – and now she writes a letter of her own. She tells Namulanta about the joy her daugh
Don’t fear menopause
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 becomes a patient rather than a doctor.Annice writes a letter to her daughter about how her professional experience helped her deal with her personal health challenge, and about how her daughter can take control of her own hormone health.She tells Namulant
The nappy braai
Azola’s friends welcomed him to fatherhood with a surprise baby shower, called a nappy braai. Instead of the chilled Saturday barbecue he was expecting, they handed him a beer and an adult nappy and told him to suit up.Azola thinks it’s important to mark milestones. When he was born in South Africa in 1990, the country was just emerging from apartheid. Families didn’t talk openly about their hopes
Walk away the first time
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 ex-boyfriend slapped her in the face, he said he was sorry and he would never do it again. But then things started getting worse.
She tells Namulanta how she finally got out of her abusive relationship and rebuilt her life – and what she wants oth
The sexy novel at Christmas brunch
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 romance novel in 2013 – she’d been writing about sex and romance under a pseudonym for years, but she’d decided to come out of the shadows. She writes a letter to her daughters about what happened when her father in law brought her book out at Christmas brunch
Bombs overhead
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 terrified, but her daughter was looking at her for reassurance. What should she say?Together, they fled their home. It was the start of a long journey, moving from place to place in search of safety and new opportunities. And Firyal is a single parent –
Advice for partying
Every year Norwegian high school graduates paint the town red for “russefeiring”. It’s a month long period of intense partying to celebrate the end of high school – students buy party buses, wear matching overalls and dare each other to stay up all night or kiss a policeman. And it all happens right before they take their exams…
Anja’s daughter went through russ last year. Anja didn’t sleep much
Divorce is not a dirty word
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 divorce lawyer and setting up a group for others who felt unable to talk about the breakdown of their marriages.In the process, she found out what was really happening inside the marriages of many Indian women. She’s since remarried and has twin sons bu
Prison and parenthood
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 years at Langata women’s prison in Nairobi, Kenya. While she was in prison, she managed to turn her life around – but how can she rebuild her relationship with her three children, and make up for the time she missed?Namulanta visits Langata to meet Rahab
The bra fashion show
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 Mahynour’s memories of her own teenage years flooding back. She remembers not wanting to wear a bra – she felt ashamed of the changes in her body, and she didn’t know who to talk to.
How can she make sure her daughter has a better experience? Luckily, her
Coming soon: Season 5
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 from around the world to create a handbook to life for her daughter Koko – and daughters everywhere.This season Namulanta’s been speaking to letter-writers all over the world, from India to Colombia to South Africa. We’ll hear from divorce lawyer Van
Encore: The dating to-do list
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 and dad had to visit the biology section of the library to find out how to do it. Wen wants to raise her daughter differently. In her letter, she says she wants to create a safe space at home to talk more openly. She passes on advice for navigating the
Encore: Without mum
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 their daughter’s early years, and she died when the child was six. Ani explains how he’s trying to teach his daughter what her mother was like before she became ill. Plus, how a Joe Wicks workout helped the family cope through bereavement.Dear Daughter i
Mama Seebz: Social media fame and dealing with haters
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 with her daughter Aya during lockdown – she was always scrolling on her phone. But then Aya and her brother suggested she join them, and she realised it was an opportunity to connect with her children on their terms.They started filming videos together
Kalki Koechlin: Bollywood and beauty standards
What should you do when your daughter tells you she doesn’t feel pretty?Kalki Koechlin has acted in blockbuster Bollywood films, written and produced for stage, and penned a book about pregnancy and motherhood called The Elephant In The Womb. She is also the host of the BBC World Service podcast My Indian Life.Kalki joins Namulanta to share the letter she wrote for her young daughter after she adm
Audrey Akande: The Receipts and becoming a ‘girl mum’
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 daughter.Audrey talks about the balance as a parent between protecting your child’s innocence but also helping them learn to face the world. How can you teach independence while keeping them safe?Audrey has given unfiltered advice and life stories on T
Dr Rae Wynn-Grant: Surviving bears, jaguars, and motherhood
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 self-doubt.
Rae was the first Black woman to host a wildlife show on US network television and she talks about the importance of diverse representation on and off screen.
She tells Namulanta about the challenges of juggling work and parenthood – in
Adjoa Andoh: Bridgerton, bodies, and bizarre pregnancy cravings
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 trusting their bodies and following their instincts - a life philosophy which has sometimes led her into some unexpected situations, especially while pregnant…Plus, filming for season 4 of Bridgerton is underway and Adjoa is back as Lady Danbury. She
Dear Daughter: Stars is coming soon!
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 family, love, and parenting in the spotlight from guests who are all ‘stars’ in their field.How does Bollywood star Kalki Koechlin teach her daughter about body standards? Why did TikTokker Mama Seebz go from telling her children to stop scrolling to beco
Choosing to be child free
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.
She made that decision at twenty, and now she’s 64 she’s never doubted her choice. She tells Namulanta about her relief at missing out on some of the challenges of parenting, why things are harder now her friends are having grandchildren, and how she
Growing up polygamous
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 other wives.In a letter she writes to her daughter, Farida describes some of the pros of a polygamous relationship, such as growing up with a large extended family and never feeling alone. But along with the pros there are also some cons, such as what it
The little girl with trauma
Regina had a difficult childhood. Her parents both struggled with addiction, and she developed substance abuse problems of her own. She thought she’d never know how to be a mother. But now she’s using her experiences to help other children heal – trying to be the person that she needed when she was a child.She tells Namulanta about the joy she finds in parenting her two daughters, the many women w
Diagnosed by a stranger, with Ria Lina
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 tells Namulanta that being a woman with autism is like being a chameleon: you wear lots of different masks to suit the occasion, but sometimes all you want to do is go to a quiet dark place and crash.Ria tells Namulanta all about autism so the next gen
My daughter, who I thought was my son
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 be on her side.But she worries that the outside world might be hostile. How can she protect her daughter, while also helping her grow? Letter writer: Gretchen
Namulanta Kombo is creating a "handbook to life" for her daughter with letters of advice and st
Blending families
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 own. Now Rehman has three children from his previous marriage and three new stepchildren. Blending the two families together is Rehman’s dream. He wants his family to accept this new reality, but it’s not all smooth sailing.
Letter writer: Rehman
N
A public apology from a besotted mother
Malini has a lot of regrets about her parenting - but her daughter Raji remembers things differently.Malini raised her family in a big multigenerational household in India, with relatives coming and going and little privacy for anyone. She and her mother-in-law were both strong personalities, and sometimes her daughter was caught in the crossfire.Malini writes a letter to Raji about her regrets ov
It’s just hair, with Joy Kendi
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 – sometimes she has tight curls, sometimes long braids or a perfect afro.But she wasn’t always so confident in her appearance. Growing up in the US, she wanted to look like the other girls around her, and didn’t know how to take care of her natural hair.She joins
Moving on
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 love, met her Taiwanese husband, and had two children. With hopes of her children growing up and going to college in Florida, Mary thinks she’ll live there for the rest of her life.But that all changes when, at 40 years old, Mary receives a menacing messa
The dating to-do list
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 dad had to visit the biology section of the library to find out how to do it. Wen wants to create a safe space at home to talk more openly with her daughter.Letter writer: WenNamulanta Kombo and parents build a “handbook to life”. Sharing your parenting
The people-making business with Janine Harouni
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 pregnant, but now there's a whole other set of challenges. On social media, she sees pictures of pregnant models who don’t appear to gain weight. Nobody seems to talk about the gross parts or the difficult parts. She’s exhausted and full of worry. Then a su
The perfect trap
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 she was finally diagnosed and treated. Now she is working on getting better, trying to appreciate the joys in life again, and regain the spark she feels she lost. She writes a letter to her future daughter about how to avoid the “perfect trap” in whic
Making amends
Musikari risks his life fighting corruption in Kenya, but at what cost to his family? Namulanta’s father is a political, an anti-corruption campaigner and a successful businessman. He’s busy, so he’s not around much for his children. They miss him. They don’t understand.Now, he comes into the studio to read Namulanta a letter about family values, the importance of friendship - and how he’s making
Being Superwoman
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 afford childcare. She has little family support. Then a moment at the school gates makes her realise that she has her priorities wrong.Letter writer: Solene
Namulanta Kombo and parents build a “handbook to life”. Sharing your parenting advice, person
Elbows out with Nadiya Hussain
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 wherever she goes. When Nadiya was a teenager she had big ambitions – but it felt like the world around her kept trying to hold her back. She tells her daughter to keep her elbows out and not let anyone squash her dreams.Plus, Nadiya gives Namulanta advi
Coming soon: Season 3
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 together a “handbook to life” for her daughter with letters of advice to help her navigate the world ahead, and she needs your help.This season, Namulanta will talk to letter writers from Hong Kong to Copenhagen about everything from body image to ble
Bonus: The Documentary
Other people’s children. The mothers who leave their own families behind to care for someone else’s. This special episode, from The Documentary, is hosted by Dear Daughter’s Namulanta Kombo. She speaks to women from around the world who are in the so-called “global care chain”. The Documentary, from the BBC World Service, is the home of original storytelling – bringing the globe to your ears. News
Holding on to love: Dear Daughter live
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 out about the tough dating scene in Nairobi. Plus, advice on how to make a relationship last, while holding on to your own identity.
Letter writers: Stand-up comedian Maina Murumba and public commentator Daisy Maritim Maina.
This is the final episode
Finding love: Dear Daughter live in Nairobi
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 guests and audience in Nairobi, Kenya. Our letter writers tell their daughters that they need to set boundaries, have mutual respect and not to settle for less than they deserve.
Letter writers: Tatiana Karanja and Peter Nduati.
Please send Namulanta you
Dear son
“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 by life’s many distractions, volunteer for everything, and keep asking questions. The final golden rule? Always stand up to inappropriate locker room banter. Plus, Namulanta has a letter for her son too.Letter writer: AndyPlease send Namulanta your lette
You are wanted
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 to have a son. When she was growing up, people were always asking her parents if they were going to try for a boy - making her feel unwanted. Now, Shakti writes to her daughter explaining just how much she is loved.Letter writer: ShaktiPlease send Namul
Trying to conceive
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 “less discreet” about what she’s been going through after listening to a past episode of Dear Daughter – and that since she started talking about it, she’s discovered a whole world of other people going through similar experiences. Plus, the one thing
Keep growing, always change
Celebrating how kids change as they grow. Claire thinks that nostalgia for babies and small children shouldn’t stop you from embracing the next stages in their development. She and her wife have twin daughters who were born prematurely. In those early weeks, they found it hard to see the future. Now the twins are seven, Claire is able to celebrate the different stages of their lives. But she’s sti
On apples and trees
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 changed completely. She reads a letter to her young daughters about what they can learn from older generations after realising “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. Plus, how to avoid telling your children that they’ll only understand things when t
Making friends
The Scummy Mummies on friendship, bullying and embracing the chaos of parenting. Comedians Helen Thorn and Ellie Gibson met when their children were little and started a podcast called the Scummy Mummies. Ten years, a sell-out UK comedy tour and more than 250 episodes later, they join Namulanta to talk about friendship – from getting through the awkward teen years to making friends as an adult.
Le
Generation gap
How to give advice people will actually listen to. When Anna in Switzerland was younger, her grandmothers used to give her advice – but she dismissed it. She thought they were old-fashioned and didn’t understand her life. Now she’s a grandmother herself, and when she looks at her granddaughter she can’t imagine what the world she will live in will be like. How can she pass on what she’s learned ab
Without mum
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 their daughter’s early years, and she died when the child was six. Ani explains how he’s trying to teach his daughter what her mother was like before she became ill. Plus, how a Joe Wicks workout helped the family manage their grief.
Letter writer: Ani
Ple
Grandma’s gift
Follow your dreams - but remember your roots! Instead of hearing from a letter writer, Namulanta talks to Alejandra about what it meant to receive letters of advice from her grandmother. Her grandma gave her blessing and guidance on moving abroad for a new life. Letter writer: Alejandra’s grandmother MariaPlease send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “S
Spend some, save some
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 called Cash Is Queen. She explains how she talks to her own daughters about money and how the skills she learned in the British financial services industry enabled her to plan a new life closer to her Caribbean roots. Plus, Davinia shares some inspiratio
I’m not fine
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 her relationships with her mother, her husband and her kids - especially her young daughter. She says: “As a girl I was taught that a woman’s strength came from her ability to endure great pain and suffering.” But in a letter to her daughter, Meera insi
Kindness: My superpower
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 camps and lost everything in a fire in the US. And yet at every stage she’s had the help of strangers.
Letter writer: Monique
Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”.
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Kids? No pressure
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 decision.” Simone is from Mozambique and tells Namulanta that society puts a lot of pressure on women to have a baby.
Letter writer: Simone
Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”.
#DearD
Healing letters
The 'Queen of Letters', Isabel Allende, on writing, processing grief and a full garage. The best-selling author wrote to her late daughter, Paula, when she was in a coma. She then turned the letters into a book. She says writing “allowed me to understand what had happened and deal with it”. Isabel has a garage full of her daily correspondence with her own mother. Her novels include The House of th
Your dad, my dad
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 together and it means so much to her. That is the inspiration for her letter. Season two of Dear Daughter begins with a story of two fathers and two daughters, which starts during the collapse of the Soviet Union.Letter writer: MarianPlease send Namulanta you
Coming soon: Season 2
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.Namulanta Kombo is collecting more of your letters – funny, moving, thoughtful advice and words of wisdom for daughters everywhere. Namulanta started by writing letters to her own daughter Koko, then asked her friends and family to write to Koko too.
Growing pains
Teenage conflict, pushing boundaries and the unexpected letter.
“You won't understand why I seem to like being mean.”
Angie writes to her daughter Kira about being the bad cop and not trying to win the nicest mummy competition.
Episode 15 letter writer: Angie
This is the final episode of the first season of #DearDaughter
We hope you have been inspired to write your own letters. Please send them t
I left for you
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 feelings about their years apart.
Episode 14 letter writer: Raquel
Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to bbcworldservice/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letter”.
#DearDaughter
Birds and bees
“Nothing is off limits.” Daisy on how she will talk to her daughter about sex: smashing taboos and overcoming old-fashioned attitudes.
Episode 13 letter writer: Daisy
Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letter”.
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Empty arms
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 million pieces”.
Please be aware that this episode discusses baby loss. If you have been affected by the issues in this episode, there are support charities in many countries or it may help to speak to a medical professional or someone you trust.
Episo
The confidence of a cockroach
“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 she should never feel too afraid to “jump, my baby, jump”. Tumi was the first African woman to have her own Netflix special, and the first woman to present Comedy Central Presents in Africa. She explains why overcoming self-doubt can lead to rewards and a
Fly bird, fly
“Learn something bigger.” Nkule wants her daughter to discover life beyond her home town.
It’s a story of two cultures colliding and stereotypes crumbling. Nkule’s message to her daughter is to meet new people, try new foods and see the world.
Episode 10 letter writer: Nkule
Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letter”.
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Seize the day
“I never want to disappoint someone”. The pitfalls of people-pleasing and not taking risks. Tatiana reflects on the fear of disappointing her parents and the downsides of following the crowd. She hopes her future daughter will be brave enough to take more risks in life.
Episode 9 letter writer: Tatiana
Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send
Faith in you
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 letter writer: Joe
Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letter”.
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Perfect match
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, are they good enough for you?”
Episode 7 letter writer: Nashra
Please send us your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letter”.
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