The Comb

Pressure, prayers, and persistent questions: Damilola Oduolowu is turning thirty. His aunt Muti thinks he should be married by now. Through a conversation with his aunt and his friends in Tanzania and Sierra Leone, Damilola explores the social pressures and stigma that come with turning 30 before you've tied the knot.

The family she didn’t know. When Marcia was four she left Angola with her mother, losing touch with her father. 16 years later, she received a Facebook message from someone claiming to be her uncle. In the quest to reconnect with her long lost family, Marcia discovers why understanding her past is crucial for her future.

‘It’s a survival issue for us’. The creeping threat of climate change is catching up with all of us, and more lives than ever are being transformed by the reality of climate change in Africa. Nirere in Uganda and Adenike in Nigeria can’t ignore what they’ve witnessed. They are fighting for their future.

Growing up in the UK, Hannah was told by her parents that if she didn’t behave they would send her back home. When she was 11, Hannah found herself at a rural boarding school in Nigeria. Arif thought he was going on holiday but ended up back in Uganda. The experience had a long-lasting impact on them both. We ask Arif’s father why he chose to trick and ship his son.

An unfair burden or a necessary responsibility? Many young professionals feel obliged to financially support extended family members who may be less fortunate, but it can be a stressful burden and leave people trapped in debt.

The impact of black tax on three young professionals in South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria.

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A ‘dark secret’ shared by many. Every year, dozens of Kenyan women die from unsafe abortions. Why is it still so difficult to talk about? In Kenya, one woman is trying to challenge the taboo by talking about her abortion.

This episode includes frank discussions about abortion, including women candidly discussing their experiences.

The American dream? Three Africans from Botswana, Kenya and The Democratic Republic of the Congo, who are now living in the US, explain how the racial justice movement of 2020 has reshaped their identity and sense of self.

Love, security, and a crisis of identity? Growing up a world away from where you were born - two women share their experiences of international adoption

Guns, drugs and brutal violence - What happens when women are sucked into the macho world of gangs? What draws them in, in the first place? And what happens when they leave? The world of Cape Town’s gangs through the eyes of two women.

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Money, time and stigma - the cost of travelling on an African passport. Your passport should be a window to the world – but if you’re from a country in Africa, visa queues, fees and expensive airline tickets mean crossing the continent can be tough. What happened to Africa’s borderless dream? And when travelling internationally, are visa denials more common for Africans?

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