Right from the beginning, the Church in this Ecclesiastical Province has been involved as a key partner in the social welfare and poverty alleviation of the people. History has it in record that the first Cooperative Credit Unions in the North West Region were started by the Mill Hill Missionary Priests in Ashing, Boyo Division and in Kekaikelaki in Bui Division in the early 1960s. Consequently, in a circular dated 18th December 2013, we informed the Christian community of the Archdiocese of Bamenda about the decision taken, after consulting the Archdiocesan College of Consultors, to start a Micro Finance scheme called “OPUS SECURITATIS (OPSEC) Community Solidarity”. “Opus Securitatis” means “Work of Security”, understood in our present context as a project or work for the financial security of all our Parishes, Institutions, Services, Christians and people of goodwill. It is a Category 2 Micro-Finance establishment created in accordance with the OHADA Uniform Act of 15 December 2010 bearing on Cooperative societies.
“OPSEC Savings and Loans” is a Cooperative Credit Union. Its aim is to encourage parishes, institutions, services and individuals to do fruitful investments, thereby promoting financial self-reliance. Generally, the mission of this credit scheme is to safeguard the little income the members have, and to continuously develop and improve the livelihood of its members, its institutions and services through the provision of proximate and efficient micro-finance and cooperative services.
So far, it has strengthened the financial capacity of its members by increasing their access to Micro credit facilities, providing security to all funds entrusted to it through transparent management and accountability, thereby promoting the financial, material and spiritual wellbeing of all members. All the parishes of the Archdiocese have opened accounts in this institution, and most of the financial transactions of our institutions are being handled through this scheme. What is more, some of the projects which the Archdiocese is currently embarking on are being financed by loans from this scheme.
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