SPARC

Society for the Promotion of Art and Culture

UNESCO Project
Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Analogous, Preserving Traditional Local Culture in Punjab

The first visit to the village of Thatta Ghulamkha Dhirok, Okara District, at the invitation of graphic designer and journalist Amjad Ali, was a special experience and led a year later to a film production (Amjad's Village, a DGFK production) that captured 24 hours of village life in a documentary. The artisanal skills of the village women and the mud-brick architecture were particularly impressive.

The multi-talented Dr. Senta Siller, born in Vienna, decided to dedicate her extensive skills to this project. The result was the establishment of an organization that enabled the women to develop their artisanal skills, generate supplementary income for their families, and still maintain their family and traditional responsibilities.

Dr. Senta Siller's efforts quickly led to success in Pakistan, with participation in the Lok Virsa National Museum Festival in Islamabad and awards, as well as approximately 16 retail outlets both domestically and internationally. For ten years, the village project participated in the Dubai Shopping Festival. The SPARC-NGO, with Anees Yaqub and M.M. Ali, organized four LIFE events (Lahore International Festival of EduTainment), showcasing analog (village) crafts and digital art (from the USA and Europe). In 2000, the village project, under the title Amjads Village, was highlighted at EXPO 2000 as a particularly sustainable project. Subsidiary projects developed in Cameroon, Colombia, Iceland, and Greece (Olympiad 2004).

The village, now known as the Doll Village / Thatta Kedona, has transformed into a village development project with diverse activities (award-winning mud houses), alternative technologies (photovoltaics, wind turbines, etc.), drip irrigation, drinking water, internet radio, and more, involving up to 30 foreign volunteers. This led to a film crew (Polzer Media Group) producing a documentary about Thatta Kedona.

Various awards and accolades both domestically and internationally led to UNESCO's Seal of Excellence in 2007. The village dolls have since become ambassadors for Pakistan, and bazaars and events in Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna, Cologne, Zurich, Leipzig, and Stuttgart have helped spread their message. The German Society for Cultural History (DGFK), with the support of V. Kopp, founded the Pakistan House in Potsdam. Interested customers in South Africa, Canada, the USA, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand provided the village women with an income and pride in their work.

The project initiator, still active but now also working in other countries, received numerous accolades and recognitions.

In 2025, the initiator received the Ruth Pfau Medal from the Pakistani Embassy, and the village project participated in the Bazar2025 trade fair under the patronage of Dr. Siller.

In 2026, the Sitara e Pakistan was presented in Berlin.