Dr. Senta Siller Receives the First-Ever Ruth Pfau Medal for a Lifetime of Lifting Pakistan’s Village
Thursday, November 20, 2025
At 90, a German Artist Receives Pakistan’s Highest Tribute for Her Lifelong Service to Its Poorest Village
On 16 November 2025, in the quiet Brandenburg village of Gross Behnitz near Berlin, an extraordinary moment unfolded: Dr. Senta Siller, the celebrated German artist, designer, and humanitarian visionary, was awarded the inaugural Ruth Pfau Medal by Her Excellency Saqlain Syedah, Ambassador of Pakistan to Germany.
The date was no coincidence - it was Dr. Siller’s 90th birthday.
Surrounded by more than sixty family members, friends, and longtime supporters, the ceremony became both a celebration of a remarkable life and a profound recognition of more than thirty-five years of unbroken commitment to one of the most overlooked corners of rural Pakistan: the small village of Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka in Okara District, Punjab.
For over three decades, Dr. Siller has quietly transformed Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka and surrounding villages through her “Yes, we can do it together!” philosophy. What began with handmade dolls and textile training for women has grown into schools, vocational centres, clean-water systems, women-led cooperatives, and a vibrant embroidery tradition that now sustains hundreds of families and reaches international markets.
She never asked for recognition. She simply kept showing up - year after year, decade after decade - turning creativity into dignity and friendship into lasting development.
As she steps into her 91st year, Dr. Senta Siller’s story reminds us that one determined heart, armed with compassion and imagination, can still change the world — one village, one woman, one child at a time.
Across borders, cultures, and generations, her light continues to shine.
Labels: Amjad Ali, Dr. Sena Siller, German Embassy, Germany, Ruth Pfau, Saqlain Syedah
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:48 AM,
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