Make care practical, humane and reachable.
To support people with epilepsy and their families through reliable information, counselling, peer connection, treatment assistance, awareness and advocacy.
Our story
Understanding first.
Support that follows.
Sanvedana is a charitable trust built around one belief: people living with epilepsy deserve informed care, equal opportunity and a community that sees the person before the condition.
2004
Founded in Pune from lived experience, with a commitment to replace isolation with understanding.
How it began ↓
20+years beside the epilepsy community
Our beginning
Born from lived experience.
Yashoda Wakankar founded Sanvedana in February 2004, shaped by her own experience of living with epilepsy since childhood.
She understood that treatment is only one part of the journey. Fear, secrecy and social misunderstanding can affect a person’s education, employment, relationships and confidence—even when seizures are medically controlled.
Sanvedana grew from the need for a place where people and families could speak openly, receive practical guidance and know that they were not facing epilepsy alone.
YW
Yashoda Wakankar
Founder, Sanvedana Foundation
A life without stigma or hidden potential.
We work toward a society where epilepsy does not limit education, work, marriage, dignity or participation in everyday life.
Why we exist
The medical condition is only part of the story.
Epilepsy is treatable and controllable. Yet myths and discrimination can create barriers that last far beyond a seizure. Our work meets those barriers with knowledge, care and community.
How we show up
Care is not a transaction. It is a relationship.
Our approach begins by listening. From there, we connect each person with the kind of support that fits their real circumstances.
Explore our programsWe create room for people and families to speak without shame or judgement.
We make epilepsy easier to understand through trusted, practical guidance.
We bring people together through support meetings and shared experience.
We help navigate counselling, medicines, surgery, relationships and social barriers.
Our trustees
Guided by people who believe in dignity and inclusion.
Sanvedana’s trustees bring continuity, care and shared responsibility to the foundation’s work with the epilepsy community.
Yashoda Wakankar
Founder & Trustee
Radika Deshpande
Trustee
Sonali Kale
Trustee
Anand Nadkarni
Trustee
Tushar Sampat
Trustee
Mukta Puntambekar
Trustee
Our journey
One conversation, growing into a community.
- 2004
Sanvedana is founded
A charitable trust dedicated to people with epilepsy begins its work in Pune.
- Today
Support across life’s challenges
Meetings, counselling, treatment assistance, a marriage bureau, awareness and advocacy work together around each person.
- Next
A more understanding society
We continue working toward equal opportunity, informed communities and lives free from epilepsy stigma.
Begin with a conversation
You do not have to work it out alone.
Meet us at Niwara Campus in Pune on Wednesday between 4:00 and 6:00 PM, or contact the team directly.
Contact Sanvedana