Mr. Susairaj, eminent social activist, having international experience of working with Children and Workers started Jeeva Jyothi in 1994 with his band of four social activists to work towards ensuring child rights to the underprivileged children toiling as labourers and living in streets.

In 1991, Mr. Susairaj joined "Nesakkaram", an organization for street children in south Chennai. Through his work with this organization, he noticed the presence of street and working children in his own neighborhood in northern Chennai. This motivated him to start "Jeeva Jyothi", an organization that would be dedicated to improving the lives of these children.
 
“Reflecting back on my own childhood, I remember the times when I worked as a child laborer in different factories in Chennai, India. I had experienced the social and economic difficulties that come with unemployment and underemployment. I do not wish to see the children of today suffer the same plight. As a young worker, I was involved in the International Young Christian Workers movement (IYCW) for many years from local level to the international level. I happened to work in Hong Kong for many years in the Asia-Pacific Coordination of IYCW and saw the prevalence of child labour in other Asian countries. Though I did not have much of formal education, it was from life that I learnt and I want to give back my life to the betterment of the society that taught me lessons in life.