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Dear Daughter — Personal Journals
Dear Daughter

Extraordinary letters written from parents to their children with Namulanta Kombo. Sharing amazing real-life experiences, parenting advice, family stories and life lessons.

Dear Daughter is an award-winning podcast from the BBC World Service about love, life, family, and raising children. It is the brainchild of Namulanta Kombo, a mother on a quest to create a ‘handbook to life’ for her daughter, through the advice of parents from all over the world.

Each episode, a guest reads a letter they’ve written to their children (or their future children, or the children they never had) with the advice, life lessons, and personal stories they’d like to pass on.

Expect unbelievable true stories, inspirational advice for parents, and moving accounts of families, relationships and raising children.

Share your letter! What do you want to say to your kids? Or the next generation? Do you have thoughts on motherhood, fatherhood, or parenthood to share? Whether you are a mum or mom, dad or papa, grandparent, uncle, aunt, daughter, son or just want to write a letter, send us a Whatsapp message on +44 800 030 4404 or visit bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter.

You can read our privacy notice here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3ZFHNV8v7qgTm1zbKbkwsvR/dear-daughter-privacy-notice

Copyright: © (C) BBC 2024

Latest Episodes:

The importance of education Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

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.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter. Or you can contact the team via WhatsApp on +44 800 030 4404.

Adoption day May 29, 2026

Show notes

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 on +44 800 030 4404.

The world you’ll inherit May 22, 2026

Show notes

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 choices her family makes at home.

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 on +44 800 030 4404.

Mother and son champions May 15, 2026

Show notes

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 both an athlete and a mum.

She also opens up about what it was like juggling those two roles, raising Lasse while still chasing her own dreams, and the balance between supporting him, encouraging him to aim high, and knowing when to step back and let him find his own path.

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 on +44 800 030 4404.

Lessons from childhood May 08, 2026

Show notes

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 self-belief. She leads by example, embracing joy through singing and dancing, even when it leaves her daughter cringing with embarrassment, in the hope of raising a child who is unafraid to be seen.

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 on +44 800 030 4404.

Donor conceived May 01, 2026

Show notes

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 their understanding has shifted over time, and what openness around donor conception looks like.

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 on +44 800 030 4404

A tractor load of love Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

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 along the way.

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 on +44 800 030 4404.

A different birth day Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

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 mother, hoping it will help others understand where she comes from and what she carries with her.

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 on +44 800 030 4404.

A mother of many Apr 10, 2026

Show notes

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 our privacy notice, please go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter. Or you can contact the team via WhatsApp on +44 800 030 4404.

Reaching milestones Apr 03, 2026

Show notes

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 shares is the day her daughter took her very first steps. They came later than they do for most children, but for Bella, that made the moment even more extraordinary. It wasn’t just a step, it was a symbol of patience, resilience, and hope.

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 on +44 800 030 4404.

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