Other people's children

Mothers from all over the world leave their families in search of economic opportunities elsewhere – and they often end up working as nannies, which means they spend their days with children while their own are far away.

How does it feel to nurture other people’s children while someone else takes care of yours? How does it shape a family when the mother works abroad? What’s the impact on the children, and their relationship with their parents?

Namulanta Kombo - host of the multi-award-winning World Service podcast Dear Daughter – explores the personal stories behind this “global care chain.”

She speaks to women all over the world who’ve been in this situation, from the Philippines to Romania to Nairobi to Dubai.

They tell her what led them to leave, and what it’s been like for them - the birthdays missed and late night phone calls.

They talk about the thrill of watching someone else’s child take their first steps, and the challenges of keeping your family together when you’re thousands of miles apart.

And she speaks to some of the people who stayed behind about the lasting impact on their families.