Senta Maria Anna Siller Awarded Sitara-e-Pakistan
Saturday, August 16, 2025
To ensure authenticity, Dr. Siller herself travelled to northern Pakistan to study traditional attire, including that of the Kalash people, believed to be descendants of Alexander the Great’s soldiers. Over time, these handcrafted items were not only showcased in major Pakistani cities but also internationally — particularly in Germany — under the name Thatta Kedona.
The project brought more than just recognition. It offered the village women a steady source of income, enhancing their self-esteem and improving their position in a traditionally patriarchal society. But Dr. Siller’s vision went far beyond dolls. She contributed immensely to the welfare and development of the village. She helped build and furnish the primary school, provided students with free books and stationery, and played a key role in introducing solar power and later connecting the village to the electricity grid. Thanks to her, a proper asphalt road was constructed, connecting the main road to the Women Art Centre, which was later renamed Senta Siller Design Center (SSDC) in her honour. Dr. Siller also initiated a clean drinking water project that serves the entire village. She launched a green initiative, encouraging tree planting and environmental care. Her idea "One Baby, One Tree" provided each newborn’s mother with a fruit tree, encouraging them to nurture the tree as they would their child.
As a symbolic gesture, every doll-maker received a Bougainvillea plant, so that blooming flowers in front of homes would signal to visitors: a doll-maker lives here.
Dr. Siller's efforts transformed Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka — not just in infrastructure, but in spirit. To provide basic healthcare to the people of Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka, a village dispensary was established as early as 1992 by Dr. Leila Siller, a medical doctor and the daughter of Dr. Senta Siller. The nearest hospital is five kilometres away, so the dispensary became a lifeline for the local community. Dr. Senta Siller personally supervised and supported the handicrafts project until 2007, before returning to Germany. She left the initiative in the capable hands of a self-organised group of village women, empowering them to run it independently. To this day, she remains in regular contact with them through occasional Zoom conferences, offering guidance on handicrafts and welfare-related matters.
Today, the villagers are overjoyed by the announcement that the Government of Pakistan will honour Dr. Senta Siller with the Sitara-e-Pakistan (also known as Sitara-e-Imtiaz) in recognition of her outstanding service. She will celebrate her 90th birthday this year and is expected to receive the award in person on March 23, 2026.
Previous: Governor Award Conferred Upon Senta Maria Anna Siller
Labels: Amjad Ali, Dr Norbert Pintsch, Dr Senta Siller, Germany, Okara, Pakistan, Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:26 AM,
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In eigener Sache - Où est quoi - Where is what - Dónde está que?
Thursday, July 24, 2025
ARCHIVE
www.dgfk-archive.de mit Interviews, InternetRadio, Sounds, Movies, SlideShows, Animations, Books, Poster-Exhibitions, Graphics, Blogs, Organizations, Events, Projects incl. PR
www.cultura-archive.de mit www.fbtc-project.blogspot.com und www.fbtc-blogspot.com www.ppparchive.blogspot.com mit Haedlines seit 2000 und Zugang zu allen Blogs mit Vorlesungen, Seminaren, Ausstellungen u.a./ with headlines since 2000 and access to all blogs with lectures, seminars, exhibitions, etc.
WebSites mit Blogs
Pakistan: www.thattakedona.com mit www.thattakedona.blogspot.com
Kamerun: www.camcatbam.com mit www.haatc.blogspot.com
Kolumbien: www.tanto-mejor.com mit www.elcampomirando.blogspot.com
Web Sites ohne Blogs:
United Emirates: www.royalglobage.com
Griechenland: www.ac-criti-project.com
Island: www.id-museum.com
Groenland: www.dolls-project.com
Projektuebergreifende Blogs von Gesellschaften:
Pakistan www.sparc-project.blogspot.com
Kamerun www.spathcameroon.blogspot.com
Kolumbien www.spaetcolombia.blogspot.com
BanglaDesh www.spocabangladesh.blogspot.com
Indien www.spaci-project.blogspot.com
Nepal www.sodshnepal.blogspot.com
SriLanka www.sutolsrilanka.blogspot.com
Island www.semoliceland.blogspot.com
Polen www.spokupolonia.blogspot.com
UniversitySpecials:
www.fpac-greenmag.blogspot.com
Ueber pdp33@hotmail.com erhaelt man auf Anfrage und Antrag Zugang zum gesamten gescannten Material!
L'accès à tout le matériel numérisé est disponible sur demande via pdp33@hotmail.com !
Access to all scanned material is available upon request via pdp33@hotmail.com!
El acceso a todo el material escaneado está disponible previa solicitud a través de pdp33@hotmail.com!
Suchhilfen / aides à la recherche / search aids / ayudas de búsqueda
Personen koennen mit dem Zusatz einer Organisation im Internet gefunden werden, z.B. XYZ / SES oder DGFK oder ABC.
Les personnes peuvent être trouvées sur Internet en ajoutant une organisation, par exemple XYZ / SES ou DGFK ou ABC.
People can be found on the Internet with the addition of an organization, e.g. XYZ / SES or DGFK or ABC. Se pueden encontrar personas en Internet con la adición de una organización, por ejemplo, XYZ / SES o DGFK o ABC.
Labels: Dr. Norbert Pintsch
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:52 AM,
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Remembering Naeem Bhajwa: A Tribute to His Quiet yet Impactful Work
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Naeem collaborated with Anees Yaqub and Mohammad M-Ali to develop the Society for the Promotion of Art and Culture, a subsidiary of DGFK e.V. Berlin. He was also involved in waste reduction programs, including a notable project in Ladakh and Sunderbans, where he introduced a simple system of waste separation to mitigate the environmental impact of burning waste. Additionally, Naeem worked on climate-friendly construction and renewable energy projects, including model test houses built by Professor Pintsch in Lahore.
Naeem's dedication to his work and his passion for making a positive difference in the world were evident in all that he did. He received the Environmental Protection Award for his selfless work on solar cookers and windmills. Lahore University students from various institutions, including COMSATS, BNU, UEAT, NCA, and PU, came together to visit examples of climate-friendly construction and decentralized, adaptive technology, showcasing Naeem's impact on the community.
Labels: obituary
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 1:33 PM,
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Thatta Kedona
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Labels: Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5:46 PM,
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Thatta Kedona Dolls Shop
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Labels: Dolls, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11:30 AM,
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The activities of Senta Siller
more than 75 years of successful work are
recorded in the following list:
Publications:
Catalogue, 46 p., © 2015
Compilation, 60 p.,© 2021
SSI 88, 110 p., © 2023
Paper Cut, 36 p.,© 2024
Musicales, 56 p., © 2024
AphoMics, 44 p., © 2024
KOB (Children's Outerwear), 44 p., © 2024
Puppetery, 88 p., © 2024
Naturales, 50 p., © 2024
Materiales, 34 p., © 2024
Fairytales and Toys, 36 p., © 2024
Marketing, 50 p. © 2024
Social, 36 p., © 2024
Training, 40 p. , © 2024
Research, 40 p., © 2024
Privado, 112 p., © 2025
and compiled from the archives
/SentaSillerArchiv-Landgut Stober-Cultura e.V. Nauen + ForZat-HVK-DGFK e.V. Berlin
Al Andalus 1954, 44 p., © 2023
Greece 1955, 44 p., © 2023
Three Little Dragon 1967, 24 p., © 2024
Marienleben 1970, 40 p., © 2023
Gnomi, 1985, 56 p., © 1985
Labels: A-e-F-e-A, Dr Senta Siller, Sparc Project, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:57 AM,
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Between Rest and Travel
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
April 8th - April 18th: Budapest, Shanghai, Auckland / New Zealand Congress of the International Lyceum Club in Tauranga, Meeting with friends from Switzerland, France, and Australia / Remembrance: Isabel Mertel, volunteer at TGD and artist, Sydney, Melbourne / Home of Dr. Elizabeth, volunteer at TGD, -
Bali, Dili / Timor Leste, Meeting with chief of cabinet of the Ministry of Art and Culture,
Singapore, Istanbul
April 26th: Workshop at the Landgut Stober project with artists
April 28th: Meeting in Leipzig / Grassi Museum
May 1st: Meeting at the Kolbow exhibition with former student and artist from the DGFK Claudia Becker-Jung
May 2nd: Commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Berlin capitulation, together with GreatGrancChildren
May 3rd: Visit to the Anne Guetzlaff exhibition in Wasserburg
Heraklion-Souda-Kolymbari / Visit of Dr. Papaderos regarding the memorial for the civilian victims of Crete between 1941 and 1945
Meeting with Anna Papaderos regarding the contribution in the DGFK INTERNATIONAL booklet
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Athens with a visit by the artist Spyros Kardamakis regarding the contribution in the DGFK INTERNATIONAL booklet
Visit regarding Greece doll project volunteer Dorit Savidou in Korapi
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Tirana-Durres / Albania
Labels: DGFK, Dr Norbert Pintsch, Dr Senta Siller, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 6:05 PM,
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Empowering Women Through Handicrafts: Thatta Kedona Website Launched
Monday, May 12, 2025
At this joyful milestone, we fondly remember the German artist, Graphic Designer and Anthropologist Dr. Senta Siller, who founded this remarkable project over three decades ago and will be celebrating her 90th birthday this year. We also pay tribute to her husband, Dr. Norbert Pintsch, who stood beside her throughout this inspiring journey.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the many volunteers from around the world—especially from Germany—who visited our hamlet, Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka, in District Okara, Pakistan, and generously shared their knowledge and expertise with the local community.
We warmly invite you to visit the website and share your feedback with us.
Labels: Culture, Handicrafts, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:48 AM,
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Addressing the Clean Water Crisis in Our Village TGD
Thursday, May 8, 2025
Several years ago, our local NGO, Anjuman-e-Falah-Aama (AFA), managed to restore the decades-old water supply system. However, due to financial limitations, we were unable to install a proper water distribution system at that time.
Thanks to the generous support of Mrs. Aliya Nadeem, wife of our late friend and devoted supporter of our village project, Mr. Nadeem Wahid Siddiqui, we have now been able to take a vital step forward. Mrs. Nadeem has kindly funded the installation of a water distribution point on the outer wall of the village Pump House, making clean water easily accessible to all villagers. Four water taps have been installed to ensure that people can collect water in an orderly and dignified manner, without the need to crowd or push. The clean drinking water is provided free of cost, and we hope this initiative will significantly reduce the prevalence of waterborne diseases in our village.
We, the members of AFA and the residents of the village, express our heartfelt gratitude to Mrs. Aliya Nadeem for her invaluable contribution. We also pray for the soul of Mr. Nadeem Wahid Siddiqui - may he rest in peace and be granted a high place in Jannat (paradise).
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 2:04 PM,
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Punjab's Rich Heritage: Thatta Kedona's Handicrafts at Punjab Industrial Expo
Friday, April 25, 2025
Labels: Culture, Punjab, Punjab Industrial Expo, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 2:12 PM,
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