Minnesota couple living with disabilities builds accessible orphanage and clinic in Liberia
BLAINE, Minn. — A Twin Cities couple emptied what little savings they had to start a mission and a movement that is saving hundreds of abandoned children.
Agnes and Prince Cole know the struggle.
"Living in Africa with disabilities was really, really hard. I went through a lot," Agnes said.
She was born with one leg shorter. Prince became sick as a teen in Liberia and lost use of his legs and one arm.
"If you have disabilities in Liberia, like society don't count you amongst the population. So it was very difficult for me in Liberia," Prince said. "I was rejected, I was neglected."
So, the couple came to America, settling in Blaine.
"And then one day she was studying, I was in the living room. a phone call came from Liberia and it was one of her friends with disabilities, and said, 'Agnes, we are starving. As I'm speaking to you we lost two kids with disabilities because of starvation, so we need your help,'" he said.
In a Minnesota snowstorm, Prince went to TCF Bank and sent every penny they had — $110 — and that was the start of the Disability Motivational Network.
In just a few short years, they built an accessible orphanage that has become home to many abandoned children.
"When we open the gate sometimes we see, in Liberia, three, four kids with disabilities lying on the floor and we can't send them away, so we have to bring them in," he said. "So most of the kids in the orphanage, we don't know where they come from, but we're taking care of them."
They now support more than 100 residents and 300 schoolchildren. They have also put 20 kids in college. And now, their eyes are on adults.
"Ninety-nine percent of the hospitals in Liberia are not accessible, not at all," he said.
So they just built a new accessible clinic.
"Something I have noticed in the disability community, I have met so many people with really good attitudes," he said. "When you're sad, you won't be able to accomplish what you want to accomplish. But with a positive attitude, you can accomplish lots of achievements in this life, especially when you have a disability."
Agnes and Prince have finished their accessible clinic and are now hoping for some local donations of all types of medical equipment and furniture.