THE WOOD floor and brick walls of Iddy & Oscar’s hold a wide variety of items, from clothing to jewelry to bags and decor, but that is only the surface of Joy Pine’s give-back boutique. Underneath, Iddy & Oscar’s is a story of compassion, joy, and love, with a mission to uplift children and change their lives.
At just 8 years old, Pine decided she wanted to be a nurse. At 16, she felt called to do mission work in Africa. For a time, she didn’t know how those two passions would work together, but then she found the perfect solution: medical missions.
“I got a little bit older and realized that you can be a missionary without going to seminary,” Pine said. “You can do mission work through medicine.”
As a registered nurse, Pine began going on medical missions to Honduras. Eventually, she was connected to a group from around the world that met in Kenya for the same purpose. There, they would treat hundreds of people a day, set up churches, and start feeding programs. Often, the pastors of the churches would take in street orphans, giving them a roof and a place to eat, but they couldn’t necessarily afford to send the kids to school. Some pastors had 20 kids, Pine said.
“We realized a need — a great need while we were doing medical work in Kenya. There was a whole generation lost to HIV and AIDS, which left a whole generation unable to afford school,” Pine said. “When we would set up to do these medical clinics it was apparent that there were kiddos who were of school age that were not in school and unable to fend for themselves.”
She and her husband discussed how they could help those children beyond medicine, and came to the conclusion that they needed an education. That way, they could grow up able to sustain themselves. They began by paying for one young person’s schooling.
“We saw that that was working because they then graduated and became a teacher and started paying their own bills and helping their own families,” Pine said. “So my husband was like, ‘Why don’t we do this on a bigger scale? What does that look like?’”
While she was working as a registered nurse and going on medical missions, Pine was also selling children’s clothes on the side. Despite that, being a career store owner was never on her radar.
“I never in a million years thought that I would have a boutique. I thought that I would be a nurse until I retired,” Pine said.
That extra money was what the Pines used to send that first child through school. It was her that pitched the idea of a boutique, selling those same clothes and having that same mission — just on a bigger scale. The biggest challenge was their plan to move to Kenya, which meant they would eventually have to manage the business from the other side of the world. Still, they persisted.
Iddy & Oscar’s was named after a pair of children that had inspired Pine during one of their trips to Kenya. It opened in early 2015 with the sole purpose of sending Kenyan street orphans to school. Ten percent of the store’s profits go directly toward that mission.
Unfortunately, Pine’s move to Kenya ended soon after it began. Her husband contracted malaria and typhoid fever and had to be air-evacuated back to the United States. He made a full recovery, but their plans had to change.
“It only made sense to be present with the business so that I could grow it so that we could send more kids to school,” Pine said. “Now we have educated over 30 kids across the country of Kenya through the store.”
The reason she has been able to do that, Pine said, is the people in Lebanon who also want to give back and give to something greater. Not everyone comes into the store knowing the mission behind the boutique, but many purchase items knowing that their money is doing something good for someone. It’s also the reason Pine has had the drive to keep the store going.
“I love fashion, but I don’t love fashion that much,” Pine said. “It has [lent] a greater purpose for the store. I don’t think it would have lasted as long as it has – we’re going into our 10th year now – so knowing that the store exists for these kids is what drives me.”
Iddy & Oscar’s is continuing to grow and branch out. They have expanded their work into Cambodia, and they’re starting to look for scholarship opportunities at home in Lebanon as well. The biggest hope, Pine said, is that they can make a cycle change in young people’s lives. After all, each person affected will go out and change more.
“The mission that we’ve been given to love God and love people — it comes full circle,” Pine said. “This is what life is about. It’s about giving back. It’s about loving others. It’s about helping people succeed … this is why we do what we do.” GN
