Dear Daughter

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 adv...

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 b...

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...

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...

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...

“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: Andy Please send Namulanta your let...

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: Shakti Please send Nam...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 Maria Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “...

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...

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...

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”. #DearDaugh...

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...

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...

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: Marian Please send Namulanta y...

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....

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 to...

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

“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”. #DearDaughter

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...