Rose Cunningham Kain has been there with us since the beginning.
Her vision has empowered movements across decades. Since 1990, through her work with Wangki Tangni, Rose has served communities along the Coco River on the North Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua, promoting human rights, peace, and sustainable development, protecting traditional culture, and improving health among Indigenous Peoples.
Sharing knowledge and platforming those who were unsure of the impact of their voice was key for Rose; this is how you build and sustain a movement. Through her work and organizing, Rose listened to people with the hope of creating a new world for them: one free from violence, poverty, discrimination, and land struggles.
Rose believed in her community; she also believed in women and girls, and the power they held to make a change in the world. She lived as an example of that power. Becoming the first Indigenous woman mayor of Waspam, Nicaragua, helped cement that — although it is not the only way she believed women and girls could be great. She believed in coming together. Joining MADRE in several delegations to North Dakota, the United Nations, Kenya, and more, she shared her learnings across borders. A strong advocate for justice, Rose inspired and taught thousands how to take action, stand for what they believe in, and join forces.
In Waspam, through Wangki Tangni and with MADRE’s support, Rose led the Harvesting Hope program, which provided seeds, training, and farmers’ markets for local women farmers. She also helped establish the first radio station to focus on women’s rights on the North Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua, and the only station to air programs in the local Miskito language. For many years, she organized a women’s forum in the community of Waspam. Hundreds of women from 115 communities across seven territories in Waspam would travel for days to gather in a large hall, discuss the challenges they faced, and devise solutions. In North Dakota, Rose connected with Indigenous partners in the region and across borders, exchanging strategies on how to confront the threat of extractive industries. At the United Nations, Rose was a constant and staunch defender of the safety and protection of women, taking the stage to ensure the bridges that connect movements were clear and supported.
Rose helped build MADRE into the organization it is today. The exchange of knowledge goes on through her legacy and memory; we promise to continue sharing her teachings and values in our work.
