Honoring a Champion: Dr. Senta Siller's Legacy Takes Root at University of Okara
Friday, April 10, 2026
Dr. Senta Siller is receiving a commemorative shield from the Vice Chancellor, Dr. Sajjad Mubeen of the University of Okara at a ceremony in her honour. Dr. Mubeen also announced to name the first under-construction female Hostel of the university after Dr. Senta Siller.
Labels: Okara, Tribute, University of Okara
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:47 AM,
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UO pays tribute to Dr Senta Siller’s services
Sunday, April 5, 2026
In recognition of the German artist and academician Dr Senta Siller’s services for women empowerment, gender mainstreaming and female entrepreneurship, a seminar was organized by the Directorate of External Linkages and Directorate of Public Relations at the University of Okara where the Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr Sajjad Mubin, and various member of Okara’s civil society paid tribute to Dr Siller who is currently visiting Pakistan along with her husband, Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch. A large number of faculty members and students from the Weekend Program participated in the event.
Prof Mubin announced to name the under-construction girls hostel at the campus after Dr Siller. Amjad Ali, a correspondent of the German broadcasting service and an academician, briefed about the project “Thatta Kedona”, initiated by Dr Siller in 1990s. He told how the project had empowered thousands of village women and changed the socio-economic dynamics of the village.
Dr Siller, in her keynote address, explained the factors that led to her motivation of investing her energies for the project. Dr Pintsch told the journey of Dr Siller. The other speakers included a Aslam Tahir ul Qadri, a renowned social worker from Okara, and Chaudary Maqsood Ahmed Jutt, a representative of various agricultural bodies of Pakistan.
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The event was moderated by the Deputy Director (Press, Media & Publications) at the UO, Sharjeel Ahmed.
Labels: Amjad Ali, Dr Norbert Pintsch, Dr Senta Siller, Okara, Thatta Kedona, Tribute, University of Okara
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12:51 PM,
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Thatta Kedona in the University of Okara
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Labels: Amjad Ali, Dr Norbert Pintsch, Dr Senta Siller, Okara, Thatta Kedona, Tribute, University of Okara
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4:47 PM,
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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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Oh Okara
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
The agricultural city derives its name from a tree known as 'Okaan'. During British period once Lahore - Multan railway line was being laid, there was a jungle of Okaan at this place, hence the name. Few van (salvadora) trees _ at the verge of extinction are also found in this part of the country. At the time of partition, one out of two textile mills that came as the share of Pakistan is in Okara. The city was declared district headquarters in 1982.Labels: Okara, Thatta Kedona, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:06 AM,
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