About us
Our Founder
"Differently-abled children require encouragement, not sympathy."
Mallika Gopal, a physically handicapped individual whose leg was affected by negligence and a Polio attack, was compelled to wear a caliper at the age of 14 due to the amputation of her thigh bone about 4 inches high. After being able to walk to a certain extent with the help of special doctors, she realized how blessed she was with only partial disability compared to others who were severely disabled. Witnessing more children being affected by Polio, she took a vow to serve disabled children of all age groups and joined an NGO in 1978, where she worked for 12 years. In 1990, while busy with her life, she observed that mentally challenged individuals faced more problems with their daily chores compared to orthopedically challenged individuals. This realization led her and her husband to start “PARADISE HOME FOR THE HANDICAPPED” in a rented building at Madipakkam, Chennai.
Who we are
“To strive, to serve and to support children by giving love, affection, shelter, food for a living, physical attributes, necessities, training, medical and educational support.”
Paradise Home is a public charitable trust established in 1991 with a primary focus on providing training to mentally challenged children to help them become self-supporting and lead normal lives within society. Unlike other institutions in Chennai that send children back to their parents when they reach 15 years of age, we provide care for our children throughout their lives, ensuring their future remains secure.
At Paradise Home, we admit children without discrimination based on their age, caste, creed, or financial status. Our humble beginnings started in a rented building in Madipakkam with just a couple of children. As we slowly grew, we relocated to our own building in Muttukadu Village, thanks to donations from charitable institutions and philanthropists. Our current school facilities occupy a total of 9200 sq. ft.
Paradise Home provides two distinct programs to cater to the needs of mentally challenged individuals of different age groups.
Firstly, our Special School for Intellectual Disabilities is designed for children aged between 5 to 18 years, both male and female. At present, we have 22 male and 2 female children under our care, bringing the total strength of this program to 24 children.
Secondly, our Adult M.R program is a rehabilitation center designed for adult males and females aged above 18 years. At present, we have 63 male and 4 female individuals under our care, bringing the total strength of this program to 67 individuals.
Combined, our Special School for Intellectual Disabilities and Adult M.R program currently cater to a total of 97 children, comprising 90 males and 7 females. During registration, we had a total of 91 children under our care, including 85 males and 6 females.
We understand the importance of providing a stable and nurturing environment for our children. By offering long-term care and support, we enable our children to build essential life skills and lead a life of dignity and independence. We are committed to making a positive impact on our community by helping those in need and providing a safe haven for mentally challenged children.
Our School
"Never look down on anybody unless you are helping them up"
At Paradise Home, the children are divided into four groups based on their IQ, and we have a team of qualified and experienced professionals to provide them with appropriate training. Our team includes physiotherapists, speech therapists, yoga masters, and special education teachers. We use educational toys to teach the children special self-help skills and also emphasize the importance of discipline, hygiene, and good habits. Currently, we offer four rehabilitation programs to our children, which includes
- Tailoring Unit
- paper cover-making unit
- candle making unit
- handicraft-making unit for creating beads and plastic flower garlands.