CONSTITUENCY ACTIONS

Hon. Dissake Builds Influence Through Action, Not Applause

Hon. Dissake Builds Influence Through Action, Not Applause

In a political landscape often defined by speeches and spectacle, Dissake Marguerite Hélène Ekoka has chosen a quieter path.

The member of parliament representing Njombe-Penja in Cameroon’s Littoral Region is steadily cultivating a reputation among constituents not for fiery rhetoric but for a long list of practical interventions many of them unfolding far from the national spotlight.

Residents across the agricultural subdivision say the lawmaker’s approach has been defined less by headline-grabbing politics than by incremental improvements in daily life: electricity extensions to neglected neighborhoods, support for small farmers, and investments in education and youth entrepreneurship.

“She doesn’t make noise, but you see the work,” said a local community member in Penja.

Development Through Small but Steady Steps

Over the years, Hon. Dissake has backed several community infrastructure projects, including the construction of classrooms and the extension of electricity to areas such as Château d’Eau Cacaoyers in Penja and Nkompita in Njombe.

The electricity project has had a particularly practical impact at local schools, including the CETIC de Njombe, where technical training once struggled because workshops lacked power.

The parliamentarian also pushed for the institution’s eventual transformation into a technical high school, a move that has allowed students from the subdivision to pursue technical education without traveling to nearby towns like Mbanga or Loum.

Education initiatives have extended beyond infrastructure. Dissake has financed free bilingual holiday classes and vocational training for young women, including one resident who trained as a tailor in Douala and now runs her own business.

Another beneficiary, supported through secondary school, is currently studying biomedical sciences and completing an internship at a hospital in Dschang.

A Focus on the Vulnerable

The lawmaker’s outreach has also targeted residents facing difficult circumstances.

She has donated assistive equipment to persons with disabilities, including a young man in Njombe who later graduated from higher education. She has also provided assistance to displaced families affected by Cameroon’s separatist conflict, including covering hospital expenses for a young mother who delivered triplets at St. Jean de Malte Hospital.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dissake helped mobilize local seamstresses to produce protective masks while coordinating the distribution of masks, sanitizers and other hygiene materials.

When a cholera outbreak later threatened the area, she supplied sanitation materials and worked with the Ministry of Public Health (Cameroon) to secure isolation units for patients.

Backing Farmers and Women

In a region where agriculture underpins the local economy, Dissake has also focused on rural women.

She donated a motorized tricycle to women farmers in Bouba to help transport produce to markets and distributed farm inputs and fertilizers to women’s associations.

Her support has also extended to civil documentation sponsoring the processing of nearly 1,000 national identity cards for residents, with priority given to young graduates who need them for employment or further studies.

A Push for Youth Entrepreneurship

Her most recent initiative unfolded on February 11, 2026, during celebrations marking Youth Day in Penja.

Under a personal initiative called “DES PAS,” the lawmaker provided about 1.5 million CFA francs in seed funding to three young entrepreneurs launching small businesses in poultry farming, pig rearing and retail trade.

The beneficiaries Pélan Omano Léonie Clautilde, Etongue Ekombo Gaspard, and Nguemeni Giscard Laroche — are already putting the funds to use in the local economy.

Recognition From the Community

On March 7, celebrations marking International Women’s Day brought another moment of recognition.

Women from the RAFA association presented the parliamentarian with a symbolic gift in appreciation of her support for women’s initiatives in Njombe–Penja.

Dissake responded with new support donating cooking equipment and 500,000 CFA francs to help launch the group’s event logistics rental project.

She also awarded 100,000 CFA francs each to three local women entrepreneurs Djokam Thérèse, Emene Marie and Kameni Jeannette recognizing their perseverance in business.

A Low-Profile Political Style

In Cameroon’s often high-decibel political environment, Dissake’s supporters say her approach is unusual.

Her leadership style, they argue, reflects a simple principle: development measured not by speeches but by tangible changes in people’s lives.

For many residents of Njombe–Penja, the result has been a growing perception that influence does not always require the loudest voice sometimes only steady work on the ground.