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The Comb

Combing Africa for stories about the unseen forces that bind us together and tear us apart. A single story, every week. Hosted by Kim Chakanetsa. #thecomb

World Service,99 episodes

Episodes

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Striking gold (Radio version)
“This is a diamond!”: A dream, a discovery and then disappointment
04 Nov 2023,17 mins
When violence goes viral (Radio version)
Moti learned his father had died when pictures of his body were put on Facebook
28 Oct 2023,17 mins
Not guilty (Radio version)
A Malawian farmer reflects on the false accusation that changed his life
21 Oct 2023,17 mins
Motherhood, mania and me (Radio version)
How giving birth triggered a young woman’s mental health crisis
14 Oct 2023,17 mins
Mogadishu's daughter (Radio version)
Ready to run: Childhood, conflict, and the complicated journey to find peace
07 Oct 2023,17 mins
The promise (Radio version)
A granddaughter’s mission to bring a sacred statue back home to her country
30 Sep 2023,17 mins
Striking gold
“This is a diamond!”: A dream, a discovery and then disappointment
24 Mar 2023,31 mins
Am I in a cult?
“I was losing myself”: How joining a new church led to years of secrecy and surveillance
17 Mar 2023,33 mins
Not guilty
Accusation, imprisonment, and vindication: The lie that changed Ishmail’s life in Malawi
10 Mar 2023,30 mins
Parenting and punishment
“My dad beat me”: A punishment, an arrest, and a family changed
03 Mar 2023,29 mins
Lives in limbo
'Dadaab is a prison’: Making a life in Africa’s largest refugee camp
24 Feb 2023,27 mins
Finding Humanism
A different kind of faith: Non-believers in Nigeria share their story
17 Feb 2023,28 mins
When violence goes viral
‘They were celebrating killing him’: When the death of a loved one is posted online
10 Feb 2023,30 mins
Motherhood, mania and me
‘She’s not my baby’: How giving birth triggered a young woman’s mental health crisis
03 Feb 2023,28 mins
Mogadishu’s daughter
Ready to run: Childhood, conflict, and the complicated journey to find peace
27 Jan 2023,27 mins
Who is Shebeleza?
Unmasking online hate: A lone voice, an admission of fault, and an unlikely alliance
20 Jan 2023,26 mins
The promise
A granddaughter’s mission to bring a sacred statue back home to her country
13 Jan 2023,26 mins
The Comb: Back soon!
Unpicking stories that matter to you. The Comb returns on 13 January 2023
30 Dec 2022,1 min
Confronting colourism
“I was trapped in my own skin”: The illegal trade which preys on prejudice
30 Jun 2022,31 mins
Orphaned: Vasco’s story
‘I was scared of the night’: A street child’s fight for survival
23 Jun 2022,27 mins
Orphaned: Mutuna’s story
‘I would have been lost’: When Mutuna was orphaned, his extended family stepped in
16 Jun 2022,29 mins
Guest episode: On the Podium
How a rower's victory became a symbol of hope in post-apartheid South Africa
09 Jun 2022,23 mins
Losing Grace
Misinformation and miracle cures: The tragic cost of misinformation in cancer care
02 Jun 2022,28 mins
Born a slave
‘I ran away’: The complicated journey to freedom in slavery’s last stronghold
26 May 2022,29 mins
Unlearning a dictatorship
Making the invisible visible: Grappling with Gambia’s difficult past
19 May 2022,27 mins
Permanent darkness
‘I can’t just go down like this’: Navigating the world after losing your sight
12 May 2022,28 mins
Decolonising tourism
‘There were no locals at all’: Reclaiming Kenya’s natural heritage
06 May 2022,25 mins
Escaping the city
‘Slow down and struggle less’: Why many are finding futures away from the city
28 Apr 2022,30 mins
Guest episode: Dear Daughter
‘Fly bird, fly’: An episode from the BBC’s ‘Dear Daughter’ podcast with Namulanta Kombo
21 Apr 2022,27 mins
My autistic child
‘African fathers don’t talk about it’: Rethinking parenthood when your child is different
14 Apr 2022,28 mins