By Abubakar Rabilu, Gombe
The Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA), Gombe State chapter, has commended the Misilli Community Development Foundation for its efforts to enrol out-of-school children and improve access to education in the state.
The State Coordinator of CSACEFA, Hajiya Halima Ahmed Mahdi, gave the commendation during an interview with our reporter in Gombe on the sidelines of activities marking the foundation’s fourth anniversary in Dawaki Quarters.
Mahdi said the foundation’s intervention was contributing to efforts to address the challenge of out-of-school children, particularly among vulnerable and disadvantaged families.
She said providing opportunities for children to enrol in school, access learning materials, scholarships and mentorship could help remove some of the barriers preventing them from receiving education.
“Education is the backbone of every society. We therefore commend individuals and organisations that are contributing towards reducing the number of out-of-school children through enrolment, provision of learning materials, scholarships and mentoring,” she said.
The coordinator specifically commended the foundation’s founder, Isma’ila Uba Misilli, for supporting the enrolment of children in schools, describing the initiative as a contribution towards strengthening the education sector.
She urged other individuals, philanthropists, civil society organisations and private-sector players to support similar interventions, stressing that the challenge of out-of-school children could not be addressed by government alone.
According to her, parents, communities and other stakeholders must work together to ensure that children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are given access to quality education.
Mahdi also disclosed that CSACEFA conducted its state election on September 10, 2026, with all five executive positions returned unopposed.
She said she was re-elected as state coordinator, while Barde Salihu emerged as secretary; Abubakar Umar Aliyu, provost; Pononyamba Ishaku Garba, financial secretary; and Adamu Alhaji Abubakar, public relations officer.
She said the new executive would intensify engagement with government and other stakeholders to promote access to quality education and expand opportunities for children across the state.
Mahdi further called for greater emphasis on peace education, particularly among children and young people.
She said teaching children tolerance, dialogue and respect for others would help promote peaceful coexistence and contribute to sustainable development.
She urged parents, teachers and community leaders to make peace education part of children’s upbringing, stressing that building an educated and peaceful society required the collective responsibility of all stakeholders.
