About this episode
Lejla shares her powerful origin story of being born from sexual violence during the Bosnian war and her journey of resilience and pain.
Lejla was born as a result of sexual violence during the Bosnian war. Adopted as a baby, she grew up in the UK. In this episode, she shares her difficult origin story with Namulanta Kombo. It’s a powerful journey marked by resilience, but also moments of deep pain. This isn’t a typical Dear Daughter story. This time, the daughter is the one writing. Lejla has written a moving letter to her birth mother, hoping it will help others understand where she comes from and what she carries with her. To find out more about Dear Daughter, to take part, or read our privacy notice, please go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter. Or you can contact the team via WhatsApp on +44 800 030 4404.
People in this episode
Host: Namulanta Kombo
Guest: Lejla
Topics covered
- birth story
- adoption
- resilience
- sexual violence
- Bosnian war
- personal journey
Keywords
- Bosnian war
- adoption
- sexual violence
- resilience
- origin story
- personal journey
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BBC World Service
Places: Bosnia, UK
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- Mother and son champions · May 15, 2026 · 21 min
- Lessons from childhood · May 8, 2026 · 19 min
- Donor conceived · May 1, 2026 · 20 min
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