PARADISE HOME


		Mrs. Mallika Gopal, a normal child until the age of 12, was suddenly afflicted by polio and was left partially crippled, through the loss of 4 inches of bone from her left thigh. Unfazed by the ordeals and with the help of the doctors, she managed to walk again, assisted by calipers and a special orthopedic shoe. This personal setback induced in her, the desire to serve those whose condition was worse than hers. In 1978, she joined the Life Help Centre for the Handicapped which was founded by Mr. R S Kannan. She won the hearts of her wards and the praise of her colleagues of her indefatigable work for over 12 years in various departments of the institution.
In pursuit, of reaching her overwhelming ambition to start a home for the mentally challenged children, she started Paradise Centre in 1990 in a rented premise in Madipakkam, Chennai with just two children. In 1992, the centre was registered as a Public Charitable Trust in the name of Paradise Home. Eleven cents of land then valued at Rupees Five Lakhs, which had been bought as security for her future was selflessly donated to Paradise Home. The small accommodation in Muttukadu was occupied in 1995. In 1996, with slow and steady progress, adjacent land of 18 cents was bought over for a sum of Eighteen Lakhs. Philanthropists and Corporates mobilized funds for the construction of a new building in 1998. Today, there are 75 students and 15 staff, including Special Educator, Physiotherapist and a Psychiatrist visiting the home once a week. Paradise Home runs without Government Funds or Grants. A few Philanthropists, Rotary Club and some corporates are the main contributors towards its upkeep. Mrs. Mallika Gopal also involved her entire family in the smooth and efficient functioning of Paradise Home.