UNICEF colorfoul hot air balloon visits Georgia

Georgia’s historical town of Mtskheta is ready to host UNICEF colorfoul hot air balloon, traveling across the world.

Georgia is the 35^th country where New Zealand balloon pilot Andrew Parker has brought his coloured United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) hot air balloon.

After Azerbaijan, Georgia’s historical town of Mtskheta will be the place where hot balloon will take off today, on January 5. Andrew will dedicate his flight to Georgian children for Christmas Eve, as Orthodox Georgians are celebrating Christmas on January 7.

On the Flying High For Kids World Balloon Project Facebook page Andrew posted his impressions being in Tbilisi, capital city of Georgia.

"Tbilisi is a fantastic city with heaps to see and do,” he said and regrettably noted that in this beautifoul city babies are involved in ‘baby business’.

"Babies are sometimes rented out by organised crime groups to women, who then go and beg on the streets. It is big business. The worst part is that sometimes babies die because they've been pumped up on sedatives over a long period of time. I was really shocked to hear this. It may not happen in Georgia, but it does happen in a number of parts of the world.” He said.

An unique non-profit, four-and-a-half year international project named ‘Flying High For Kids’ in support of UNICEF has launched in December 2013 from New Zealand and aimed to bring happiness to children’s lives and raise awareness and funds for the UNICEF’s work.

Through a year UNICEF colorfoul hot air balloon has already covered 23 000 kilometers, visited 17 countries and held 34 ceremonial flights in these 17 countries.

Andrew Parker pilot of the hot air Balloon planned to visit 100 countries across the world and finish his journey in Chile.