The Comb

BBC World Service

4.8 (97)
PERSONAL JOURNALS

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

03/24/2023

Striking gold

“This is a diamond!”: In 2017, two young miners, Komba and Saffea, struck gold. They uncovered a huge 709 carat diamond - the ‘Peace Diamond’ - worth millions of dollars, in Sierra Leone. It was a dream come true for them both. They were rich beyond their wildest dreams. And then, their dream began to unravel. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #TheComb Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com Produced by Mary Goodhart

31 min
03/17/2023

Am I in a cult?

“I was losing myself”: When Mbali was introduced to a new church through a bible study group she was excited at the prospect of finding a new religious community. But as she became more involved with the church, she began questioning some of their unusual teachings and approaches. It left her asking the question ‘Am I in a cult?’ Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #TheComb Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com

34 min
03/10/2023

Not guilty

Accusations, imprisonment, and vindication: The lie that changed Ishmail's life, taking away his freedom, and breaking up his family in Malawi. Nearly 20 years later, Ishmail reflects on the painful reality of being falsely accused. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #TheComb Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com Produced by Mary Goodhart

30 min
03/03/2023

Parenting and punishment

“My dad beat me.” How the physical punishment of a child changed the lives of a Nigerian family forever. Behaviour which was the norm for a mother who grew up in Nigeria was treated as assault in the UK. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #TheComb Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com

29 min
02/24/2023

Lives in limbo

‘Dadaab is a prison’: Making a life in Africa’s largest refugee camp. When Anab and Mark came to Dadaab as refugees fleeing conflict, they thought the camp would be a temporary shelter. Three decades on, they are now both raising their families in the camp with no hope of relocation and no home to return to. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #TheComb Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com Produced by Aisha Afrah

27 min
02/17/2023

Finding Humanism

A different kind of faith: Navigating life as a non-believer in a highly religious society can be deeply lonely. Leo and Balm both found community and belonging in Humanism - a form of atheism which strives for a life of meaning and purpose anchored in the strength of humankind. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #TheComb Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com Produced by Mary Goodhart

29 min
02/10/2023

When violence goes viral

Ethiopians on social media have been dealing with a wave of violent and graphic content in recent years. Multiple conflicts have seen violent pictures and videos regularly shared online, often alongside threats, hate speech, or disinformation. For Moti, this hit close to home in a devastating way when his father was the target of a political killing, and pictures of his dead body were posted on social media. Rehobot also shares her experience of combating this online hate through fact-checking, but how exposing herself to so much violent content eventually impacted her mental health. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #TheComb Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com Produced by Rob Wilson

31 min
02/03/2023

Motherhood, mania and me

‘She’s not my baby’: How giving birth triggered a woman’s mental health crisis, leaving her desperate, delusional and detached from reality. Chebet found herself on a journey of illness and recovery, after her ‘baby blues’ morphed into something much darker. How do women embrace motherhood after postpartum psychosis? Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #TheComb Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com Produced by Kim Chakanetsa

29 min

See All (93)

Kim Chakanetsa

Host

4.8

out of 5

97 Ratings

Lost African Soul founds its way back

02/18/2023

X-dissapointed

I love this podcast. I’m not sure why it took so long for me to discover it. I left Africa years ago for greener pastures but there not so green. Add to that, I feel lost. Not from here but forgotten my home. Listening to these stories brings back there. I imagine the people, the places, in my head and I look forward to living there again. I wish we had more of these stories told not only on podcasts but books, movies etc.
Brilliantly insightful!

09/16/2021

Mugabs Laptop

brilliantly insightful! 10/10 recommend! diverse voices from across the entire continent unlike a lot of content. Amplifies marginalized voices and brilliantly hosted. Can't wait for the new episode each week and I've listened to every single one. 10/10 would recommend!
Superb!

08/31/2021

Ola_Mide

An excellent podcast! Interesting storylines and well produced. Highly recommend.
In depth and individualizing

07/31/2021

Chi-Lei

Gives day to day people from various African nations a voice and perspective. It challenges us, many of whom being from the West, to not see groups as simply that. We are all individuals! It’s in depth, and I enjoy the relatable (or new) common threads.

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