Preemptive Love Coalition exists to eradicate the backlog of thousands of children in Iraq WAITING IN LINE FOR LIFE SAVING HEART SURGERIES in pursuit of peace between communities at odds.
I Am An Iraqi Child...
2007 BSSL Concept Short
Chemical Warfare, Sanctions, & Intra-Family Marriage
Experts think that Saddam Hussein’s 281 chemical attacks and experiments on the Kurds of northern Iraq contribute to the high rate of life-threatening heart disease among children in the region today.
Others cite U.N. sanctions and the massive spike in infant and child mortality throughout the mid-nineties for many of the problems among children and youth in Iraq today. Widespread corruption and the deliberate withholding of essential human services led to rampant malnutrition and disease in Iraq on a scale so vast that it led to the resignations of the U.N. Coordinator for Iraq and other U.N. leaders. The sanctions were widely criticized by U.S. and world policy-makers for never really harming Saddam.
Intra-family marriage—a practice common in tribal societies and reinforced by histories of ethnic cleansing—is still practiced by many today and probably also contributes to the prevalence of these diseases.
Eradicating the Backlog with Buy Shoes. Save Lives. and the Preemptive Love Coalition
In July 2007, Jeremy & Jessica Courtney and Cody Fisher came face-to-face with the overwhelming reality of thousands of children waiting in line for life-saving heart surgery. With a background in grant-writing and fundraising, the trio knew that they did not want to start a traditional non-profit. They determined to make the markets bend in favor of the outcast, underdog children of Iraq.
The Courtneys and Fisher launched Buy Shoes. Save Lives. to generate critical funding through a creative blending of commerce and compassion. They loved the traditional handmade Kurdish shoes and they suspected that others around the world might like them as well—especially when the purchase of every pair of Klash would help fund a life-saving heart surgery for an Iraqi child.
As this movement gained momentum, more staff was added and the Preemptive Love Coalition was officially incorporated in February 2008, immediately multiplying the means through which people could come together to save lives.
As we enter our third year of operations, our 2010 goal is to save a total of ninety children, including sending fifty children to Turkey and forty surgeries inside Iraq through international surgical missions.We don't know what the future holds, but it looks extremely hopeful for thousands of Iraqi children with a Klash-wearing coalition like you on their side.
NEXT IN LINE FOR SURGERY
Meet Nivar. She lives in Iraq and needs urgent heart surgery outside the country because of a four-fold set of heart defects called Tetralogy of Fallot. Her growth has been stunted by lack of oxygen in her blood and subsequent lack of energy & activity. But it's not too late for Nivar. A total corrective surgery is still possible before she moves into her ninth birthday in September. Her father has collected $3,500 from savings, friends, and family to help send Nivar to surgery! This is the kind of family participation that so encourages us!
Not looking to make a purchase? You can also make a tax deductible donation in the amount of your choice to get a child on their way to surgery today. Just two minutes and you can be a life-saver!
Unique. Hand-knit. 40 hours per pair. And you'll have the confidence that with every step you are saving lives! Plus, our very limited production each year guarantees you'll stay on the edge of "one-of-a-kind."
Proven quality. Unlike other charitable purchases you've made, the bottom won't fall out of this one. No glues. No rubber. Earth-friendly and 100% guaranteed to last. But just for good measure, we have an "any time, any reason, any condition" return policy. A new pair or your money back if you're not pleased.
Full of value. Full of values. When you buy our shoes you make many lives better by sending $40 to our general fund to give heart surgeries to kids in Iraq and another $53 to a shoemaker named Aram Majid (video below) and his six-person team who produce your shoes in their village homes according to fair trade principles. There are zero carbon emissions created by the production process and there are no toxic chemicals found in so many mass produced shoes (including no glue, plastic, or rubber).
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