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* How many children have you helped? How much money have you raised?
* How can I get involved with the Preemptive Love Coalition?
* How much money per pair goes to help kids in Iraq?
* How much does a typical surgery cost?
* To whom is the Preemptive Love Coalition accountable?
* Do you guys abide by Fair Trade Principles? Are Klash and Kids Klash Fair Trade Certified?
Q: How many children have you helped? How much money have you raised?
A: As of Quarter 4 2009 we have helped 48 children receive the heart surgeries they needed and have raised/given away nearly $300,000.
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Q: Are there other ways I can get involved with the Preemptive Love Coalition?
A: Go to this page to see all the options for getting involved!
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Q: How much money per pair of Klash goes to help kids in Iraq?
A: Over 90% helps kids in Iraq through two avenues. Depending on the shoe-maker from whom we bought the shoe in question, anywhere from 40–65% of the $100 goes to help fund heart surgeries for children in Iraq. Most of the remaining 35–60% goes to the village shoemaker’s family, putting food on their table, clothes on their kids’ backs, etc.
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Q: How much does a typical surgery cost?
A: After our partnerships, discounts, and subsidies a typical surgery totals $9,000 including all travel, housing, logistics, and medical costs. To avoid “hand-outs” and to promote both a personal and civic sense of ownership PLC seeks to raise more than 50% of the cash need for each surgery from local Iraqi sources including the patient’s family and local Iraqi philanthropists, businesses, and campaigns. The remaining cash needs are funded by PLC’s international donors, Buy Shoes. Save Lives. revenues, and campaigns.
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Q: To whom is the Preemptive Love Coalition accountable?
A: The vision and values of the Preemptive Love Coalition are subject to the PLC Board of Directors — a collection of professionals in fields ranging from law, business, and academia. The Board and the staff of PLC also appeal to a Board of Advisors for field-specific matters related to medicine, international business, international development work, Iraqi issues, and peacemaking.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the Preemptive Love Coalition is accountable to the people of Iraq. We exist as an organization to serve them and meet their needs. Through our Followthrough program, we spend a lot of time listening, refining, and improving our services.
The Preemptive Love Coalition is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and as such we are accountable to the U.S. Government, our customers, and our donors as we display financial transparency. We began as a for-profit business selling hand-made Iraqi shoes and, as such, were not required and did not file IRS 990 forms. We will file our first 990 this year and it will be made available on the website upon its completion.
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Q: Do you guys abide by Fair Trade Principles? Are Klash and Kids Klash Fair Trade Certified?
Fair Trade vs. Fairtrade
In general parlance “Fair Trade” is known as a set of principles that involves paying fair wages to workers, the freedom for producers to organize themselves into unions, not employing children as a labor force, and ensuring that working conditions are not endangering the people who work. “Fair Trade” is the idea that commerce should actually benefit (or even develop) the communities of those who work and at least “do no harm.”
The certification, known as Fairtrade Certification, is a different matter that only applies to commodities (raw materials or agricultural goods). At our last check, Klash were not qualified for Fairtrade Certification.
Key Fair Trade Principles
The Preemptive Love Coalition is committed to the principles of Fair Trade, however; regardless of our eligibility for certification. PLC continues to show our commitment to Fair Trade through our transparency and accountability and promotion of Fair Trade by educating our customers about the ins and outs of our production chain. We are unashamedly honest about the things that are hidden from us, sober about the things that are outstanding, and welcoming to any who would desire to inspect the exact process and conditions surrounding the production of Klash and Kids Klash.
We actively create opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers and give them access to international markets so as to build their capacity for success long after we've left the scene. Not all of our shoe makers are economically disadvantaged, but most of them do have at least two jobs in order to make ends meet. It's important to us that we pay a fair price for each pair of shoes.
That said, due to the charitable nature of our work on behalf of the kinsmen of these shoemakers, we have negotiated prices (wholesale) that are lower than that to which they are accustomed (retail), but these Kurdish shoemakers see the differential in the profit margin as their contribution to eradicating the list of 3,000 known children in northern Iraq alone who need heart surgery! Moreover, due to the volume of sales we’re bringing to the table, each shoe maker is ultimately walking away with more money than they would have at their previously higher profit margins.
Due to the fact that Klash and Kids Klash are largely produced in the homes by families, gender equity in the pay and work volume something to which we can happily attest. Though certain aspects of the work (usually the knitting of the upper) fetch less and take more time, women are treated well by their families and outside buyers throughout the production chain. Moreover, the sheer power and skill required to make the sole is deserving of more pay, being a trade at which only a handful in the entire population are adept.
Working conditions for adults and the absence of child labor are two very encouraging aspects in the production of the shoes, despite the generally discouraging economic conditions for many in the country. Due to the fact that most shoes are made in the context of families and apprenticed relations—as opposed to non-relational factories—we have never witnessed any conditions or practices that gave us cause for concern.
The Conclusion
We mean for our name, the Preemptive Love Coalition, to convey our concern for the well-being of these people—both their children and the producers who make our very existence possible. Klash and Kids Klash are not made in anonymous factories or sweat shops. We do not have relationships with grizzly foremen to the exclusion of the actual labor force. We meet with the shoemakers themselves, know their names, know their families, eat lunch with them and treat them with as much respect as we desire for ourselves.
So, in a word, “YES! Klash and Kids Klash are fair trade!”
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* How do I size my foot in inches?
* It doesn’t really take 8 weeks to ship does it?
* Are 10.75 inch Klash the largest you have available?
* Are Klash comfortable?
* Are Kids Klash washable?
* What if my Klash do not fit? What is your return policy?
* How do I clean my Klash
* Can I wear my Klash in the rain? What happens if my Klash get wet?
* What are the leather straps on the bottom of the shoe that I’ve seen in some photos?
Q: How do I size my foot in inches?
A: Stand up, place your bare foot on the ground, and measure in inches from big toe to heel. Do not measure your foot sitting down. Do not measure your shoe or refer to your label. The numbers on our store are inches, NOT shoe sizes.
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Q: It doesn’t really take 8–12 weeks to ship does it? Nothing takes eight weeks to ship!
A: Suffice it to say that business in Iraq is a little different than business in the US. And due to the current traffic we are receiving, we have had no choice but to implement an 8–12-week shipping policy so that we have a bit of room to breath. In many cases, the wait is much less than 8 weeks, but for now, we continue to say 8–12 weeks so as to be realistic.
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Q: Are 10.75 inch Klash the largest you have available? Can you custom make me a bigger pair? Won’t my 13 inch foot actually fit inside a 10.75 inch shoe?
A: Unfortunately, 10.75 inch shoes are the largest we consistently offer right now. Please don’t order a 10.75 inch if you are a 13 inch (etc) unless you intend to make the shoes a superneat paper weight. We do try to stock up on larger shoes from time to time, so please email us via our Contact Page at the top to see if we’re hiding any big shoes in stock at the moment.
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Q: Are Klash comfortable?
A: We think they are great. And that’s no lie. But comfort is relative. One of us got blisters for a day or two. Like almost any shoe, they take some “breaking in.” The upper part of your Klash and the majority of the bottom are all cotton, so they will shape themselves to your foot as you wear them. If you can fit your foot inside, your Klash will flex with your foot. Some people think they are going to be like “clouds” (whatever that means — we’ve never worn clouds) simply because they are white. Satisfied customers have said, “The difference in my Klash today compared to the first day I got them is the difference between a new pair of jeans and my favorite pair of jeans that I put on after a long day of work. My Klash are now the first shoes I reach for.”
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Q: Are Kids Klash washable?
A: We have had some good results with washing Kids Klash both by hand, in a dishwasher, and in a washing machine. However, due to the fact that we buy the shoes from a number of different shoemakers, it is possible at any point for us to buy a batch of Kids Klash that use a different dye or a different type of cotton thread/yarn. For that reason, we are unable to guarantee that the colors of Kids Klash will not run when washed in a machine or a dishwasher. We suggest washing Kids Klash by hand and can attest to the fact that they clean well that way.
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Q: What if my Klash do not fit? What is your return policy?
A: You can send back any pair of Klash that do not show wear within 30 days. Try your shoes out for a 30 days at home on the carpet. If they don’t get to a point where the size seems like it will work for you (too big or too small), DOWNLOAD AND INCLUDE THIS COMPLETED FORM and send them back. We will adjust the size on your second pair per your instruction and send you a new pair at no extra cost. Unfortunately, we cannot accept returns that show wear.
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Q: How do I clean my Klash?
A: You Klash can be hand-washed with a toothbrush and a water solution of 2–3 cups of water to 1 teaspoon of a mild laundry (no bleach) detergent dissolved inside. DO NOT APPLY this solution to the colored sole of your Klash, as colors may fade or bleed. After the white (top) of your Klash completely dries, you can do as the Kurds do and apply a coat “blackboard” chalk to the white part of your Klash for an extra-clean look. It sounds crazy, but it really works! You might also Scotchgard your Klash.
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Q: Can I wear my Klash in the rain? Will anything happen if my Klash get wet?
A: We do not recommend allowing your Klash to get overly wet. A step in a small puddle won’t affect your Klash. If your Klash get soaking wet for any reason, they will survive. We recommend you do one of two things: (1) Place a wooden or plastic shoe form inside your Klash (available on ebay under shoe form) until they are completely dry or (2) place your Klash under something heavy that will keep them flat; something like a pile of dictionaries. The objective is to keep the leather strips running through the soles of your Klash from shrinking and pulling the Klash in on themselves.
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Q: What are the leather straps on the bottom of the Klash I’ve seen in some photos?
A: The sole of the Klash is strung through by hand (and great force) with four or five strips of leather. In Kurdish culture this leather is left fastened on the outside of the shoe until the moment of purchase when it is cut for the customer. This “exoskeleton” ensures that the shoe retains its shape throughout the weaving, cleaning, and shipping process. Klash shipped to your door arrive without this strip of leather and are ready to wear with a completely flat sole — just like you would expect!
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