As jaded as we can sometimes be over here in Fashion Journalism Land, the story behind the Falling Whistles nonprofit campaign had us tearing up at our iBooks.

Here’s the gist of it: This American guy went into the Democratic Republic of Congo and saw first-hand the cruelties of war when it comes to the children of the Congo.

He helped rescue five boys under the age of 15 who had been made to murder, live in a filthy hole and suffer daily beatings at the hands of Congolese soldiers.

And the boys told him about the heinous practice of forcing boys too young to hold a machine gun to the front lines of battle — armed with nothing but a whistle. They blow the whistle to incite enemy fire and actually attract bullets. Their choices are to feign death or actually die (most die).

So, the charity was set up to help the children of war-torn Congo. And, wisely, the merchandise it’s selling to raise money — gold and silver whistles engraved with “FW” and logo t-shirts  — is actually stylish.

The old-thymey whistles are not only super-cool-looking — they also serve to remind us how freaking lucky we are to be living lives devoid of abuse and terror.