KOZHIKODE: A group of parents has pooled money to build homes on a three-acre plot, fittingly named ‘Paradise’, for their children with special needs at the Meerod hill station in Keezhariyur. The land was also purchased by the group to build a community that will care for the kids.
The Parents’ Association for the Rehabilitation and Assistance for Differently Abled Individuals to Support and Empower (Paradise) project has been set up by a trust comprising the parents.
“The project is becoming a reality, because of a question that looms over our heads whenever we think of our children: After us, what?” said Prof K Koyatty, chairman of the trust.
Thirty houses, each 800 sqft in size, have been planned. “Five of them are almost ready,” said D K Babu, a trust member.
The project will also include dormitories, vocational training centres, classrooms, therapy units, recreational parks, a theatre, turf ground, a common kitchen, and a primary health centre.
“The idea is to build a community where individuals with intellectual disabilities can thrive even in the absence of their parents,” said Babu. But, parents will also be allowed to live with their children. “The government would have helped, had we approached them, but bureaucratic delays would have hindered progress.
That’s why we decided to fund the project ourselves,” Babu explained. So far, 15 families have joined the initiative, with 10 forming the core trust. “We are carrying out a survey in the panchayats of Keezhariyur, Meppayur and Thurayur to identify special needs children who can benefit from the project,” said Prof Koyatty “We are also looking for staff to help us run the initiative,” he added.
One of the key components of the project is the respite care centre. “We don’t have places where we can leave our children in safety, even for a few days. In a society that offers facilities for pets, we struggle to find support for our children,” said Babu.
The trust is seeking backing from all quarters. “We can do all this only with support from the community,” said Prof Koyatty, extending an open call to donors, volunteers and well-wishers.
For details, contact: Prof K Koyatty: 9847110100.