- Source: Egide Nzojibwami
Egide Nzojibwami is a geologist and academic who was the first Burundian national to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
Nzojibwami was educated at the University of Liège in Liège, Belgium, and he and his wife were baptised into the LDS Church there on 14 April 1985. He returned to Burundi and eventually became dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Burundi. Nzojibwami holds a PhD in geology from the University of Liège, Belgium and a MSc in civil engineering from the University of Calgary, Canada.
On 27 November 1992, Nzojibwami was set apart as the first branch president of the LDS Church in Burundi. In November 1993, at the beginning of the Burundi Civil War, Nzojibwami left Burundi and emigrated to Canada. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nzojibwami and his family have recognized the importance of storytelling and history of his Burundians roots and the lasting impacts that it will have on his daughter.
Settling in Calgary, Alberta, Nzojibwami established Technosol Engineering Ltd., a consulting corporation in groundwater and environmental assessment that works in the oil and gas industry and for municipal developments.
Nzojibwami investigated chloride migration in the Cold Lake area of Alberta, Canada, as part of his thesis focusing on the effects of industrial activities on groundwater contamination. It examines the movement of chloride ions through the soil and aquifers, assessing the factors that influence their migration, such as hydrogeological conditions and human activities like oil extraction. The study's findings provide insights into the long-term environmental impacts and the potential risks of contamination in the region's water resources.
References
"Branch flourishing in Burundi", Church News, 1993-08-21
Donald Q. Cannon, Richard O. Cowan, Arnold K. Garr (eds.) (2000). Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book) s.v. "Burundi"
Deseret News 2001–2002 Church Almanac (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret News, 2000) pp. 291–292
Nzojibwami, E. (1999). Study of chloride migration in Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada).
(2022). Churchofjesuschrist.org. https://ca.churchofjesuschrist.org/from-burundi-to-canada
