Paciencia Tobileri Bepe was born on 18 June 1964 in Luba – San Carlos, South Bioko – Equatorial Guinea, and passed away in Almería – Spain – on 31 May 2023.
She attended primary school in Moka and completed her secondary education and a Diploma in Teaching in Malabo, where she lived and worked as a teacher.
From 1991, she was a civil servant in the Ministry of Education. She worked as a nursery school teacher at the Poveda Centre in Elá Nguema and at the Virgen María de África School in Malabo, both run by the Teresian Association. She also taught adult literacy, particularly to women, and provided continuing professional development for nursery school teachers.
She was passionate about and devoted to her language, which led her to teach the Bubi language for several years and to train teachers in the Bubi language. Her work as a great champion of her native culture led to her being honoured in 2017 by the EBOBE group.
She was also a tireless advocate for women’s rights and integration and the promotion of women’s self-esteem.
Passionate about her culture
On 26 October 2013, she became a member of ACIT-Equatorial Guinea. Active and engaged, she served on the Board and held the post of secretary of the association for four years.
A devoted daughter of the Our Lady under her title ‘Mother Bisila’, patron saint of the island of Bioko, she not only kept her in her thoughts at every moment of her life, but also composed songs in her honour and was a member of her parish’s Bisila choir, playing an active role in the founding of other choirs dedicated to Mother Bisila.
Her Teresian vocation made her passionate about learning, about life, and about her culture.
Paciencia is remembered by her pupils and colleagues as the best teacher, mother, colleague, friend and fighter… As she herself used to say: ‘You have to fight and grow stronger with each passing day to be able to face life’s adversities.’ Always encouraging and offering advice, welcoming everyone… She lived for others. A cheerful woman, with a great capacity to celebrate life.
Those who shared her final days in Almería expressed, during the funeral, great admiration for her as a very special person, a woman of deep faith, compassionate, and devoted to her household duties right up to her last day. ‘You could sense their immense affection and gratitude towards Paciencia,’ said the members of the TA who were with her in her final moments.
Pictured: Carmen Lizárraga, Paciencia Tobileri and Patricio Bokuma, president of ACIT Equatorial Guinea (2013).
Thank you, Paciencia, for the life you have given us and for loving our homeland so dearly. We can say with certainty that you are now one of our ancestors and that you are helping us to live out our calling faithfully, day by day.
Margarita Roka Elobo.
TA Translation Team.
Published in Profiles