King Charles pays tribute to late mother on 100th anniversary of her birth
King Charles pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on her 100th birthday, reflecting on her legacy.
The Guardian World1 min read
Baby abandoned by roadside is now changing lives
TL;DR
Becky Chaplin, abandoned as a newborn in Kenya, was adopted by British parents and has since returned to Africa to volunteer with Mercy Ships. She trained the first physiotherapists in Sierra Leone, contributing to the country's healthcare education.
Key points
- Becky Chaplin was abandoned as a newborn in Kenya.
- She was adopted by British parents and moved to the UK at 10.
- Becky volunteered with Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone.
- She trained the first physiotherapists in Sierra Leone.
- Sierra Leone established its first physiotherapist course in 2018.
Mentioned in this story
Becky ChaplinMercy ShipsSierra LeoneKenya
As a newborn, Becky Chaplin still had her umbilical cord attached when a vet who was out jogging discovered her in a bag by the roadside in Kenya.
She was taken to an orphanage and later adopted by British parents, before eventually moving to the UK when she was 10-years-old.
Becky, who lives in East Grinstead, said she "always had a heart to come back to an African country," and decided to volunteer for the international health charity Mercy Ships.
As an occupational therapist, she trained the first cohort of physiotherapists on board the "floating hospital" in Sierra Leone.
The West African country established its first university-level physiotherapist course in 2018, and in 2023 Becky helped mentor its 15 new graduates.
Before then there were only six fully-trained physiotherapists in Sierra Leone for a population of about nine million people, according to Mercy Ships.
Becky described the programme as "a fantastic move forward in access to training".
"Previously, anyone wishing to become a physiotherapist would have to fly to Ghana, Cuba, Kenya, or further afield for training," she said.
Becky also used her experience working in the burns unit at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead to help develop a service at her local hospital in Sierra Leone.
She said her aim was always "to help children and adults with disabilities".
Speaking to, Sarah Gorrell on BBC Radio Sussex, Becky said: "Because of disfigurement, burns patients were often shunned or abandoned by communities."
Becky says after surgery and rehabilitation "we see them transforming, their personalities come out and then they go home with joy and with a testament of change".
She acknowledged it was not always a perfect outcome.
"In those situations, what we do is share love, Jesus' love and also we get them to a place where they can engage back in their community," she said.
Mercy Ships describes itself as a faith-based international development organisation which deploys hospital ships to some of the poorest countries in the world.
Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to
Q&A
What happened to Becky Chaplin after she was abandoned in Kenya?
After being discovered by a vet, Becky was taken to an orphanage and later adopted by British parents, moving to the UK at age 10.
How did Becky Chaplin contribute to healthcare in Sierra Leone?
Becky trained the first cohort of physiotherapists on board Mercy Ships and mentored the first 15 graduates of Sierra Leone's university-level physiotherapist course.
What is Mercy Ships and its role in Africa?
Mercy Ships is an international health charity that operates a floating hospital, providing medical care and training healthcare professionals in underserved regions of Africa.
