Up, up and away

The blue circle is something we've come to associate diabetes awareness with. And the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness. Our guess is Dubai-based Andrew Parker hopes that the "logo" for children's education awareness will soon be a colourful, hot air balloon.
In December 2013, the 33-year-old Kiwi national, a hot air balloon pilot himself who works at Balloon Adventures in Dubai, embarked on a round-the-world mission to promote quality children's education, armed with a seven-storey-high balloon.
If you're wondering what he's up to, here's the back-story. Andrew started flying hot air balloons when he was 16 (he fell in love with them at the age of six - when he first laid his eyes on one), and, at 20, had his own balloon business in New Zealand. But that's not where his heart was. "I've wanted to do an international hot air balloon tour for a good cause for a long time," he says.
So he chucked his "business", and decided to convert it into a calling - for his cherished cause.
Andrew's self-funded project Flying High For Kids took off with a trip from New Zealand through Australia to Malaysia. To date, he has visited over 50 countries and will cover more than 100 by the end of the project next year.
When he's on the ground, he uses a truck to transport his hot air balloon; so far, he's driven throughout South East Asia, Central Asia and Europe (his next stop is Africa) - he's clocked 45,000 km - flying his balloon at different venues.
The balloon is just the means to the end. Andrew's main goal is to push for discussions on children's rights around the world, and it's something that he's tied up with UNICEF for. "Education is what will shape their lives, give them a future and encourage them to follow their dreams."
How does he do it? Kids are immediately drawn in by the sight of his balloon. It's a showstopper. He then gives them a talk about education and rights, and "they're always so inspired by the end of the talks - it's something they'll always remember. when I tell them my life story and what I did to get where I am, I'm planting a seed in their minds that tells them they can make any goal a reality."
Andrew works with UNICEF and various schools in the countries he's visiting to organise events and campaigns aimed at upping the quality of education provided and encouraging inclusiveness of children with special needs in mainstream schools. The motivational speeches aren't just for the kids: they get parents and ministry officials involved, which, he says, is easier to do when people hear there's a 'balloon coming' - especially in places where they've never seen one before. Working in tandem with the UNICEF team, he aids the schools they visit by setting goals for them, establishing steps towards achieving them and then tracking the schools' progress.
'Aid' isn't just about supplying food and water to countries in need, says Andrew. "People need an aim and a passion in life. So, while the project is about working for children's right to quality education, introducing different ideas and garnering acceptance of them, it's also about helping kids dream big. It's what will help them progress... If they have aims, they become better people."
Andrew has had quite a few takeaways from the project himself. Like the time when he was in Qurghonteppa (in Tajikistan). He'd put the balloon up in the middle of a stadium; there were 12 schools nearby. "The police closed off all the roads in the area and 5,000 kids walked to the stadium to watch the balloon take off," he recalls. "When it finally did, there was this massive roar from the kids as they cheered it on. That was incredible."
Andrew is also trying to promote cultural dialogue among the kids by organising 'postcard swaps'. "The kids make postcards for me, in which they draw pictures and say something about themselves - and I share these at the next place I visit. It's a great way to open their eyes to the wider world around them and expose them to other kids from different cultures."
For the time being, travelling around with a huge balloon certainly works as a conversation-starter. "You get a lot of questions about the balloon and the project," he says. "It's good!" The kids would agree.

Take Three
What's the funniest response you've gotten from the kids about the balloon?
Sometimes, at the end of a talk, when I ask them about their own goals and ambitions, all of them say they want to be balloon pilots! Of course, they won't all turn out to be so - but who knows? I may end up starting a whole legion of balloon pilots across the world!

What's the longest distance you've driven as part of the project?
4,000 kilometres from Mongolia to Kazakhstan. It took me over a week (they weren't exactly the smoothest highways!). I remember that being really tiring, as I was doing 12-14 hours of driving a day.

Do you find planes equally fascinating?
Not really. When you're flying in a balloon, you're at one with nature. It can only be described as floating on a cloud. That's not the experience you have in a plane. So, no, balloons are definitely more my thing!
karen@khaleejtimes.com