Searching for Soldier Dad: 1. Love story

About this episode

Cathy, at 10 years old, begins to uncover the truth about her father with the help of her mother Maggie and a team of professionals.

Why don’t I have a father? Cathy is 10 years old when she starts asking questions. The secret her mum Maggie is forced to reveal changes everything. Years later, when lawyers and a geneticist turn up in their hometown in Kenya to take DNA samples, Maggie hopes they can help her finally learn the truth. Searching for Soldier Dad is a BBC Long Form Audio production for the BBC World Service. Please note, the image being used is for illustrative purposes only and the child depicted is a model. Presenter: Ivana Davidovic Series producer: Josephine Casserly Sound design: Tom Brignell Executive producer: Matt Willis Commissioning senior producers: Katy Davis and Anne Dixey Commissioning editor: Jon Manel

People in this episode

Hosts: Ivana Davidovic, Matt Willis, Jon Manel

Topics covered

• family secrets
• identity
• DNA testing
• fatherhood
• personal history

Keywords

• father
• DNA
• family
• secrets
• Kenya
• identity
• truth

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC, BBC World Service

Places: Kenya

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• Searching for Soldier Dad: Trailer · April 13, 2026 · 3 min
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