Sr. Solina Hicks, RSM is honored by the Archdiocese

Sr. Solina Hicks, RSM has created the series of paintings entitled "Seeing the Kingdom of God in Nigerian Women." There are 22 paintings in this series that Sr. Solina painted in her 95th year in order to support the Nsukka Project and her cousin Esther Hicks who has spear-headed this project for the Archdiocese. In 2008, the Archdiocese celebrated Sr. Solina's contribution and the partnership between the Catholic schools of Nsukka and the Catholic schools of the Archdioces of Chicago.

Currently, some of these paintings are on exhibit with numerous other works this month at St. Xavier University. The show "Sister Solina Hicks, A Retrospective" is on exhibit at St. Xavier Galler, 3700 West 103rd Street, Chicago, IL 60655 until April 8, 2010. A conversation with the artist and reception will take place on Wednesday, March 31st at 3:30. If you can't make the reception, please call the Gallery for hours or further information: 773-298-3081.

Where's the MALL???

Shopping in Nsukka is nothing like shopping in Chicago, except that you still need to have money to buy what you want! In Nsukka the market is a large mass of small shops that share walls. The shops run next to each other both from north to south and east to west. The roofs of the shops are tarps or corrugated metal sheets. If it's a very hot day, like it was today, you might feel overheated and wish for a breeze of fresh air because the plastic tarp or hot metal seem to hold the heat and prevent the air from circulating. What might you find in the market place? Why anything from jewels to give to your friends when you get home, to nuts and peppers to share with friends who come to visit, to school supplies. I wonder what goody goodies the delegation found on their trip today? Do you think they found something to share with you?

Holy Trinity Secondary School focuses on agriculture

Today the Delegation began by visiting two schools. St. Francis Secondary School and Holy Trinity Secondary School. Holy Trinity has an agricultural focus. Students learn how to grow and sustain their communities by learning to grow native crops. Since the May 2008 Delegation's visit, Holy Trinity has reached it's capacity to serve the students of the area. They need to build more school buildings to but have run out of land to build on. St. Francis School has completed building their third floor and also need to build more classrooms for the students who want to come to school.

Nsukka Schools

This is what a typical classroom looks like in Nsukka. Notice the drawings on the walls...this is what the teacher and students use for a chalkboard. This school's uniform color is green...they are not dressed for St. Patrick's Day! Notice there are no individual desks!

Transportation in Nsukka

If you went to Nsukka to visit our friends, how would you get around? Well, lucky for you, Fr. Willy and Fr. Fidelis would borrow a friend's SUV or a van from one of the schools so that they could take you and your friends all around the city. And then they would have to drive very carefully because the roads are filled with lots of people trying to get somewhere. Many walk everywhere they need to go. School children rise early to walk the long miles to school...often leaving home while it is still dark out. They have to be very careful because the roads are often in poor shape (if you think Chicago has pot holes, wait til you go to Nsukka!). Like in the USA, many use trucks to transport goods (and people) from place to place. Those who don't have a car (and that is by far the majority of people) have to walk. If you don't have a car, but you want to get some place farther away than you can walk, how might you get there? There is no L in Nsukka. What if you have a lot to carry? What if it's more than fits on your head? Well, you just might be in luck. Often you can catch a ride on a motorcycle taxi! When are you coming to Nsukka to see for yourself?

Students on the campus of the University of Nsukka

Today the Delegation visited the University of Nsukka. This is one of the largest Universities in Nigeria. Would you like to see where the University is? Click on this link: http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&q=university+of+Nsukka&fb=1&gl=us&hq=university+of&hnear=Nsukka&hl=en&view=map&cid=12331460587816447063&iwloc=A&ved=0CBQQpQY&sa=X&ei=q4KhS7zUDpCeMrKp0P4H

Can you see the red clay roads? These roads are very difficult to travel. When it rains, like it did yesterday, the clay washes away from the road and leaves very big holes. Sometimes these holes are as deep as 3 feet. Do you know what happens to a car when it accidentally falls into that size hole?

School Children from St. Victor's Welcome the Delegation

St. Victor's students sing a song "Walking in the Lord" as a song of welcome to the Delegation in May 2008. Can you see the various instruments they are using to keep time? What songs might Archdiocese of Chicago students sing as a song of welcome should we be blessed to have a visit from our friend in Nsukka? What instruments would we use to show our joyful celebration? What songs would we want to sing?