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.
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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Ambassador H.E. Saqlain Syedah honors Dr. Senta Siller on Her 90th Birthday
Monday, November 17, 2025
Memories were shared, and posters showcasing Senta's activities were displayed in four rooms, accompanied by refreshments.
The ambassador spoke about Senta's selfless work and honored her achievements with a medal and a certificate.
Senta's former student, Amjad Ali, who continues her work in the village of Thatta Ghulamkha Dhiroka at the Senta Siller Design Centre, took the opportunity to provide further information.
Previous: Birthday
Labels: Amjad Ali, Birthday, Cultura e V Nauen, DGFK e V Berlin, Dietrich Eckardt, Dr Henri Siller, Dr Senta Siller, H E Saqlain Syedah, Michael Stober, Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11:21 AM,
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Bazaar 2025 in Berlin
Thursday, November 6, 2025
The project soon led to subsidiary projects (Cameroon, Colombia, among others) and gained recognition through EXPO 2000 in Hanover and Aichi (Japan). The dolls received a UNESCO award and were sold as a special item in Dubai, at the United Nations in New York, and at museum bazaars in Central Europe – always under the motto "unique pieces, not mass-produced" and with the vision: "Preservation of local traditional culture and UNESCO World Heritage..."
Labels: Cultura e V Nauen, DGFK e V Berlin, Dr Senta Siller, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:49 AM,
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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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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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