Dear Daughter

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 Raha...

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 fem...

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 V...

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...

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...

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 togethe...

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 a...

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...

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 – includ...

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...

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 bec...

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’d...

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 i...

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...

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 ge...

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 sto...

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 Namul...

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...

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 joi...

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 mess...

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: Wen Namulanta Kombo and parents build a “handbook to life”. Sharing your parentin...

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...

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...

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...

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, personal...