It’s good to be alive
Ex-coroner Mike Barrett finds new meaning of life in aid work
Mike Barrett saw death up-close regularly in his work as a coroner, but it was a trip to India in 2016 that opened his heart to the true meaning of life.
Since that first visit to one of the poorest places on earth, the Penticton man has dedicated himself to do as much as he can to help the impoverished.
“When I was a coroner I was as close to death as I could be and I think that gave me a good realization of how good it is to be alive,” said Barrett, who was also a police officer.
“Helping these people in India, I don’t want to do anything else. I have enough to live on for the rest of my life, I’m very, very happy and I just feel the need to spread my happiness and give to the people who just don’t have a chance in this world.
“To go over there and you see the conditions these people live in — it just rips me apart.”
It was on that initial visit he met up with a couple of young teachers from the Bihar State region and extended an offer of help.
Since then, as part of the Unicorn Project, Barrett has helped raise money for everything from education and water pumps to yak wool blankets for seniors.
As it has around the world, COVID-19 is having a huge impact on the Indian province, including the closure of a school that began three years ago and had about 60 students.
Fortunately, Unicorn directors found property to construct a new classroom building made of bamboo, straw and mud.
To help fund that and to cover the upcoming school year budget (about $13,000) on Wednesday, March 10, Barrett is embarking on his most ambitious fundraiser yet called Biking to Bodhgaya.
That is also the date the school in India is set to open and just happens to be Barrett’s 70th birthday.
“I’m imitating the distance that it would take if I was to ride directly to Bodhgaya (from Canada) which I know you can’t but it would be about 13,000 kilometres so my goal is to plug away at it six or seven days a week, locally to start and when I can, some long rides to Vancouver Island or Calgary,” said Barrett, an avid cyclist.
“It’s just a small thing we can do and so if people can donate $10 or $20 or donate $130 for my whole drive it would be wonderful. We’ll keep going, one day and one day and one day at a time until we get there and hopefully people will help us.”
He added that because a dollar goes so far in that region of India, every little bit helps.
“These are the poorest of the poor,” said Barrett. “If we can give them an education and give them that sparkle in their eyes… our goal is to carry them through to high school and hopefully they can get good jobs.”
For his trip he will be riding the Dōst Bikes electric bicycle. Dōst is one of his sponsors.
Decked out with saddlebags, it also has a rear-facing radar unit which transmits road traffic behind him to his cell phone mounted on the handlebars.
There’s one other item: The brightly coloured flag of the Dalai Lama, which he laughingly says may better help him divinely in the event of a mishap on the highway.
For more information on the Unicorn Project or donate visit: unicornproject.ca/donate.