People rely on each other to achieve wholeness as human beings. Those who ignore or show indifference towards their fellow beings miss out on valuable opportunities in life.

With a deep understanding of this principle, a group of qualified, trained, and experienced individuals in the fields of community development, preventive and curative health, and community-based rehabilitation came together to establish a non-profit voluntary organization in Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka State, India, in 1988.This organization, called ‘SHANTHA JEEVA JYOTHI’ (SJJ), translates to life filled with the light of peace’ in English.

SJJ is registered under various acts, including the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, Income Tax Act, Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, and Niti Aayog. It is also recognized under section 80G of the Income Tax Act.

The organization is governed by an Executive Council whose office-bearers and members are elected annually by the primary members, known as the General Body. The Secretary serves as the chief functionary, and a qualified chartered accountant ensures the monitoring and certification of its annual accounts. The organizations’ activities, including financial matters, are reviewed by the relevant departments of the District and State government authorities.

In 1989, SJJ was assigned specific geographical areas by the government to work under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) of the Government of India. The City Corporation of Bangalore provided SJJ with a dispensary building in a central location in Bangalore city to provide services for people affected by leprosy. Since then, SJJ has been operating from this premises.

Recognizing their competence in this field, the government allocated additional uncovered areas (39 municipal wards) in 1991 and increased the population coverage (over 10.50 lakh) in 2005. From 1994 to 2014,SJJ was the sole NGO in the state of Karnataka to receive grant-aid support from the Government of India for leprosy-related work. In March 2015, the State Government honored SJJ in recognition of its outstanding work in the field of leprosy control in urban areas of Bangalore.

Furthermore, SJJ is engaged in activities related to the social and economic empowerment of marginalized groups, with a particular focus on women and children prone for neglect, exclusion, and abuse, in both urban and rural districts of Bangalore.

In 2010, the Department of Women & Child Development appointed SJJ as a district cell of the Missing Child Bureau, tasked with identifying missing and unaccompanied children and reuniting them with their families. In March 2016, the Ministry of Women and Child Development, along with Childline India Foundation, designated SJJ as a District CHILDLINE Collaborative organization. This appointment enabled SJJ to provide emergency intervention and long-term rehabilitation services for children in need of care and protection in Ramanagara District, Karnataka.In2021, the District Administration of Ramanagara appointed SJJ as a member of the District Level Vigilance Committee under the Bonded Labour System[abolition] Act, 1976.