Gabon Education: Tribute to Marc Steeven Spark Call for Student Support. LIBREVILLE, Gabon — 12 March 2026 (AGP) – The recent tribute held at the Lycée National Léon Mba in memory of student Marc Steeven Mombo Kombila has sparked a renewed call for increased support and understanding of students facing psychological challenges, as noted by the Gabonese Press Agency (AGP).
The solemn event, initiated by the Minister of State for Education and Civil Instruction, Camélia Ntoutoume Leclercq, aimed to honor Marc Steeven while providing a platform for expression for those deeply affected by his passing.
According to the AGP, Madame Leclercq encouraged schools, families, friends, and the broader educational community to gather in remembrance and to listen to testimonies in memory of the deceased.
The director of the provincial academy, Mme Guimbounda, emphasized the need for collective support, saying, “Madame the Minister has called for mobilization across educational institutions to mourn and listen to testimonies in honor of the departed.”Students, including Alex Benjamin Agonjo of the first-year science class, expressed the profound impact of Marc Steeven’s death. “.
Today is a dark day for us.
We have not only lost a classmate but a brother, a friend, and sometimes even a mentor, “Agonjo shared, urging peers not to face difficulties alone and to seek support from their surroundings.
The psychologist Alix Messa, who has been intervening in several schools in Libreville, highlighted the importance of not minimizing depression among young people. “.
Students often go through difficult situations and do not always know whom to turn to.
However, there are psychological and social services available in schools. Naming one’s suffering is half the cure, “Messa pointed out.
Mme Guimbounda emphasized the collective responsibility of the educational institution in supporting the family through this hardship.
Officials commented on the matter.
The educational authorities are now awaiting the program for the funeral to be communicated by the family, in order to offer their support until the final tributes are paid to the young student.
The tribute to Marc Steeven has underscored the need for a more empathetic educational environment that acknowledges and addresses the psychological well — being of students. Further details regarding the funeral arrangements are expected to be announced soon.
