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
93 Available Episodes (93 Total)Average duration: 00:24:17
Mar 24, 2023
Striking gold
00:31:24
“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.
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#TheComb
Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com
Produced by Mary Goodhart
Mar 17, 2023
Am I in a cult?
00:33:30
“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?’
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#TheComb
Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com
Mar 10, 2023
Not guilty
00:30:07
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.
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#TheComb
Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com
Produced by Mary Goodhart
Mar 03, 2023
Parenting and punishment
00:29:12
“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.
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Feb 24, 2023
Lives in limbo
00:27:19
‘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.
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#TheComb
Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com
Produced by Aisha Afrah
Feb 17, 2023
Finding Humanism
00:28:40
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.
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#TheComb
Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com
Produced by Mary Goodhart
Feb 10, 2023
When violence goes viral
00:30:44
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.
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#TheComb
Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com
Produced by Rob Wilson
Feb 03, 2023
Motherhood, mania and me
00:28:38
‘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?
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#TheComb
Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com
Produced by Kim Chakanetsa
Jan 27, 2023
Mogadishu’s daughter
00:27:14
Ready to run: Aisha’s story of a childhood shaped by conflict in Somalia, and her complicated journey to finding herself and finding peace. How do you navigate a normal life after a childhood of “chaos and conflict”?
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#TheComb
Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com
Produced by Mary Goodhart
Jan 20, 2023
Who is Shebeleza?
00:26:52
Unmasking online hate: How the courage of a domestic abuse survivor won her an unlikely alliance in the fight against misogyny and gender-based violence in Namibia.
Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think.
#TheComb
Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com
Produced by Mary Goodhart
Mar 24 | 00:31:24
Striking gold
Mar 17 | 00:33:30
Am I in a cult?
Mar 10 | 00:30:07
Not guilty
Mar 03 | 00:29:12
Parenting and punishment
Feb 24 | 00:27:19
Lives in limbo
Feb 17 | 00:28:40
Finding Humanism
Feb 10 | 00:30:44
When violence goes viral
Feb 03 | 00:28:38
Motherhood, mania and me
Jan 27 | 00:27:14
Mogadishu’s daughter
Jan 20 | 00:26:52
Who is Shebeleza?
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