Spirit Children of Sister Stans - Sister Stans Children, Ghana, Africa

The “spirit child” Phenomenon is an age-old traditional belief commonly practiced today in the Kasseba-Nankana regions in Ghana, Africa.

Children born with disabilities or whose mothers die giving birth are thought to be a bad omen. Those who fail to walk or speak by the age of three are also cast into this heart wrenching dire circumstance. Even twins are considered evil and subsequently abandoned or put to death because of a superstition.

The Sisters and staff at the orphanage work tirelessly each day to maintain a loving family environment for over 157 children centered around our Catholic faith….all without the modern amenities that we are accustomed to here in the USA. They prepare their meals over an open fire and do not have running water or constant electricity. But they have one another and they have faith in God. They pray for their daily bread and the generosity of those who have a gift to share or who would consider sponsoring a child.

Faith in God is the foundation of the orphanage. Sr. Stan and her staff are hopeful that the children’s progress and education will not only empower them for a bright future but also reshape how the villagers view and value them …..replacing the idea of “Spirit Children ” with dignity and hope.

Abraham

Alice

Alice is smart and always helping the younger children. She was welcomed in to the home with her brother Samuel and sister Lizzie when it first opened because their parents had died and Sr. Stan found them living on their own. Alice has thrived in the care of Nazareth home. She has completed all her primary education and continues to advance her education, along with career training.

Angela

Angela came to Sister due to her limited mobility and no speech as a child. She was rejected from her family and community. She is now 15 and with the love and care from Nazareth Home, she has thrived, and now attends the Nazareth Academy. She will need continued educational sponsorship.

Anna

Anna came to Sister in October of 2025 as a 4 year old. She is delayed in speech and subsequently abandoned by her family. She is a shy, yet receptive child and through the love and care of Nazareth Home is slowly adjusting to her new life, new family and new hope. Anna will need speech therapy and then educational opportunities.

Benjamin

Benjamin (2)

Bertha

Bishop

Bishop came to Nazareth Homes as a young child due to limited speech and inattentive behavior. Bishop has high energy, limited speech and delayed cognitive abilities which made schooling very difficult, and has not completed all primary grades. He has good receptive language skills, an eagerness to help and can complete small tasks by himself. Bishop has a strong work ethic and will proper training could be a helper to a particular trade.

Blessing

Blessing came to Sister when she was a few years old. She was very delayed in speech and walking, thus deemed evil and rejected by her family. She is now 15 years, attends the Nazareth Academy, with the potential for a very bright future, with an education sponsorship!

Cesar

Charity

Christopher

David

Dominic

Ebenezer

Elizabeth

Emmanuela

Fadilla

Felicia

At one year of age, Felicia was brought to Nazareth Home because of her disability of incoherent speech and intellectual disorder and therefore her life was under threat by her parents and the community as a whole. Since then Felicia has been in the home growing healthy but cannot talk. Felicia is in need of speech therapy when and if that can be found in the nearby community.

Francisca

Gabriel

Gabriel came to Sister when he was 3 weeks old. His mother had died, he was rejected, abandoned and severely malnourished and spent weeks in the hospital with Sister by his side. Gabriel has a very strong attachment to Sister. With her love and care, he is thriving and graduated from primary school, and will be attending high school in the Fall. He has great potential and is in need of ongoing educational sponsorship.

Gifty

Gilbert

God-Day

God-Knows

God-Knows came to Sister when she was 1 day old. She had a hand deformity of one having six digits, and with her mother being mentally ill, she was abandoned by her family. A local doctor was able to remove the extra digit to allow full function of both hands. God-Knows is bright, happy, a great smile and loves to dance. She attends Pinnacol Heights Academy.

Godfred

Godfried

God's Gift

Hamas

Immanuel

Innocence

Joanne

Joanne came to Sister and the Nazareth Home when she was a few months old. Her mother was very ill, and she nor her family could take care of her. She does not have any physical disabilities and is now 11 years old and attends the Nazareth Academy. She has a great aptitude for a strong future, with an educational sponsorship!

John

Joshua

Kelly

Kelly (2)

Lizzie

Lizzie is bright and helpful and learning more every day. She was welcomed in to the home with her older brother and sister, Samuel and Alice, when it first opened because their parents had died and Sr. Stan found them living on their own. She has thrived in the care of Nazareth home. She has completed all primary education and continues to advance her education, and career training.

Lucky

Lucky came to Sister at a young age due to being rejected by his family because he had both physical challenges as well as visual impairments. He has undergone various leg surgeries, which has greatly improved his overall mobility. He is now 14, extremely prayerful and attends the Nazareth Academy. Lucky will need ongoing therapeutic intervention and tuition for schooling.

Lucy

Lucy came to Sister when she was 3 years old. She was abandoned, very malnourished, sick and in the hospital for weeks. With the love and care of Nazareth Home, she regained her physical and mental health and attends the Nazareth Academy. She will need ongoing educational sponsorship.

Lydia

Martha

Martha was born as a twin with her sister Mary who died. She was deemed a bad omen by the family and brought to Sister. She does not have any disabilities, and is thriving in high school. She has a bright and promising future and needs educational sponsorship to university or trade school.

Martina

Nana

Noella

Noella came to Sister and the Nazareth Home at a very young age, She could not walk and was greatly physically delayed. She is now 12 years old and had received physical therapy intervention over a few years from a volunteer, and now she can walk, but does show signs of hyperactivity and ADHD tendencies. Will need educational and therapeutic sponsorship.

Patricia

Paul

Perpetua

Peter

Peter (2)

Precious

Precious came to Sister at 2 months old. She was rejected by her family as she was born with a club hand, and deformed foot. Over the years, she has received surgeries and proper prosthetics donated by a Children’s hospital and is thriving in school attending Pinnacol Heights academy.

Rebecca

Rejoice

Rejoice was deemed evil because her mother died during childbirth. She has no disabilities, highly intelligent and at age 14 attends the 7th grade at Nazareth academy. Rejoice has a bright and successful future and needs educational sponsorship!

Samuel

Samuel came to Nazareth Home with his younger sisters, Alice and Lizzie, when it first opened because their parents both died and Sr. Stan found them living in the streets. Samuel is the first from Nazareth Home to graduate from a private high school in Tamale! He also served his one year in the government and is now employed by Sister to help with the daily operations at Nazareth Home.

Sara

Sara came to Sister as a young child. She nearly lost her life when her neighbors in this remote village in the northeastern corner of Ghana accused her of being possessed by evil spirits and causing the death of 17 people — simply because she could not speak. With Sister’s saving love she now thrives, has hope and is attending high school. She has a wonderful personality, disposition and great potential. She needs ongoing educational sponsorship.