According to Dominican Historian and Anthropologist, Dr Lennox Honychurch, Koudmen is a creole word that originated from the French term ‘a coupe de main,’ which means giving a helping hand. Koudmen has been a long-standing history in the Dominican culture dating back to periods prior to colonization where members of the Kalinagos communities would come together to build, plant gardens, prepare meals, and help those in need.

Many communities and social amenities on the island were built through the spirit of Koud menor the self-help movement. Today, Koudmen is not as strong or vibrant as it used to be, however it remains alive in some rural communities, especially for projects where there are limited resources or no money.

In March and April of 2021, Argos Dominica was happy to contribute and be a part in perpetuating the rich culture of Koudmen, a much-needed aspect of our social development in Dominica. We donated cement to the Fond L’iviereDevelopment Committee to repair a local access road leading to a small settlement, named Fond L’iviere, in the village of Loubiere, Dominica. The existing access road was severely damaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017.

In addition, we donated cement to the Special Services Unit of the Dominica Police Force in construction of a mini gym and gazebo at their training facility in MorneBruce, Roseau.

Both projects were executed as ‘Koudmen’ projects, where residents of the Fond L’iviere settlement and the police officers respectively provided the labour and other resources needed for these two projects. While small in value, these donations will help to keep the dying culture of Koudmenalive, build communities and positively impact the lives of people.