About 400 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from across the Democratic Republic of Congo are enrolled in the BYU Pathway Worldwide program. More than 50 students have earned PathwayConnect completion certificates and three have earned college degrees.
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PathwayConnect provides more than 36,000 students in 180 countries the first step toward enrollment in high quality on-line US university degree programs at a modest cost while living at home. It leads toward a Brigham Young University-Idaho or Ensign College associate degree in one of eight programs or a bachelor’s degree in one of seven programs. These degree programs include business, technology, communication, health, family, and professional studies.
BYU Pathway also offers nearly 30 certificate programs in such practical fields of study as accounting, graphic design, health, tourism, computer system administration, and web development.
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Pierrette Kasongo shows her Pathway Connect certificate in Kolwezi, DR Congo on January 14, 2023. 2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.BYU Pathway has been in DR Congo only since 2019, according to the Senior Service Missionary and Zone Leader Elder Dumazedier Kabasele. This program is expanding rapidly within DR Congo and to central African countries, including Congo-Brazzaville, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.
Church leaders strongly endorse this program. Russell M. Nelson, President of the Church, has said, “BYU Pathway brings an innovative approach to education — one unique to the Church Educational System and to the world.” He has also said, “wherever you are, develop a deep desire to learn. Education is the difference between wishing you could help other people and being able to help them."
According to Elder Ric Paul, Area Coordinating Missionary (ACM) based in the United States, “Pathway has experienced miraculous growth in the central Africa area, doubling in number of students each year.” He added that increased local efforts to teach the English language are needed to qualify more students for the Pathway program.
Brother Kabasele said, “BYU Pathway is a blessing for Africa, and we can feel the Savior’s love while gaining a university degree and being more faithful. The program is the unique way to be more skillful and faithful in the world.”
Thirty students, including one nonmember of the Church, earned PathwayConnect certificates at the first graduation ceremony held in DR Congo, which took place in Kinshasa on August 22, 2022. Idris Tshikwat Kasans, a returned missionary, received the first BYU Idaho associate degree granted in DR Congo, in the field of Applied Business Studies.
Eighteen students graduated from Pathway Connect in Kowezi, located in the southeast of DR Congo, on January 14, 2023. One of the graduates was Clovis Livu Shiku, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Applied Technology, making him the first person in DR Congo to earn a bachelor’s degree under the Pathway program.
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Thirty students participate in first Pathway Connect graduation in DR Congo, in Kinshasa on August 22, 2022. 2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Four students, including Stake President Matthieu Tshibumbu Ilunga, received their PathwayConnect certificates on April 14, 2023 in the Ngandajika Stake Center in Mbuji-Mayi, DR Congo. During the ceremony, the graduates expressed their gratitude for PathwayConnect and EnglishConnect programs. This was the first BYU Pathway graduation ceremony held in this city in central DR Congo.
The next BYU Pathway graduation in DR Congo is expected to take place in Kinshasa in December 2023. Brother Idris Tshikwat hopes to earn a BYU-Idaho bachelor’s degree in applied business, which would make him the second recipient of a bachelor’s degree granted in DR Congo under the auspices of the BYU Pathway program.
BYU Pathway is available to all, both members and nonmembers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Coursework is conducted in English, therefore BYU Pathway encourages potential students to gain English proficiency before entering the program. BYU Pathway offers a separate program called EnglishConnect to help students further develop English language skills if needed.
For further information about the program and enrollment requirements, see www.byupathway.org.