PORT — GENTIL, Gabon – A charity concert of praise was held in Port-Gentil on Sunday, organized by Marina Tonda, founder and president of the NGO Lecla “Les Enfants, c’est l’avenir,” as part of efforts to raise funds for substitute teachers in public schools facing a teacher shortage, according to the Gabonese Press Agency.
The second edition of this initiative, themed “One Teacher, 400 Students Educated,” reflects the NGO’s ambition to reduce frequent class interruptions due to the lack of pedagogical supervision. Marina Tonda lamented the situation where students begin the year with a teacher, only to find themselves without one halfway through, particularly in mathematics or sciences, compromising their academic future. The Provincial Academic Directorate (DAP) supported this initiative, which garnered considerable public interest.
Two choirs and four volunteer singers entertained the audience, contributing to mobilizing loyalists and sympathizers around the cause. Organizers said the funds raised would cover at least one teacher capable of supervising several classes, benefiting around 400 students. Participants viewed this mobilization as a collective awareness of the educational system’s challenges.
A parent of a student confided, “Being in school is not enough; one must be educated,” praising an initiative filled with hope. Convinced that education remains a crucial development lever, organizers aim to sustain this type of action to durably address the teacher shortage in Port-Gentil’s public schools.
Source: Agence Gabonaise de Presse
