Orphans Can Dream Too

Many remember Andrea Loman ’03 as one of the top-five Notre Dame softball players of all time. Off the field, Loman graduated from the Mendoza College of Business in management information services—a degree she took to Michigan to work for the Whirlpool Corporation. After three years, she moved on to Perrigo Company, a manufacturer of over-the-counter medications, as a senior business analyst.

In her spare time, Loman dedicates herself to the group she founded called Orphans Can Dream Too (OCDT), a non-profit organization designed to assist children worldwide, beginning with one of the largest slums in the world, Kibera, Kenya.

OCDT funds educational and recreational opportunities for children through a series of programs. The Survival Program provides basic necessities, such as food, medication, and shelter. The Health Outreach Program facilitates medical care and health education, with a focus on healthy diet and AIDS prevention. Additionally, OCDT has two programs for education: one that seeks sponsorship of the children to attend schools, and another that teaches life skills and promotes self-esteem.

Loman first visited Kibera during a self-initiated service trip in 2007—a result of her lifelong desire to make the world around her a better, happier place, particularly for children.

“I had taken on smaller scope community service projects upon graduation from Notre Dame and as the opportunities blossomed, my passion grew stronger and stronger,” she says.

That passion led her to Kenya. “I expected that it would be the experience of a lifetime, but I had no idea that I would be impacted in such a huge way,” Loman says. “I had a difficult time internalizing how the local government failed to address the extraordinary barriers to health care, food, education, and poverty.” When she returned to the States, she could not shake the memories of the people she had met. She began OCDT as a response.

“I knew that I was in a stable position financially and I could not think of another way to show my ultimate sacrifice, humility, and commitment to God than through the service of others,” says Loman. “I formed OCDT to speak for those who are unable to speak for themselves, and to hopefully change their lives.”

Loman personally sponsors two children in the program, and provides funding for their food, shelter, and education. To date, six children now are supported by the program by the five people on the board of directors. Without OCDT, these children would not be able to afford education past the seventh grade.

OCDT was granted federal non-profit status this summer, meaning the program now is eligible for federal funding, and donations are tax deductible.

 Visit the OCDT website to learn more about this important initiative and its volunteer opportunities, including sponsoring a child.