I want to tell you about a friend of mine, a very special gentleman. Remco van Santen is a retired economist cum chemist. Rem has been quite a traveler in his time, and has back packed his way around South America, the back woods of China and India.
In his travels in India Rem discovered a small hill town called Nainital. This is a beautifully situated town that in recent years has become dirty and ugly with pollution and neglect. It contains some wonderful examples of British colonial architecture that is sadly decayed, and its once-beautiful lake is dead or dying from oxygen depletion.
Rem fell in love with the town and decided to do something about it. When he told me what he had in mind I thought he had lost his marbles thinking he could move the mountains of entrenched indifference and sectional self-interest.
I am delighted to tell you I was wrong.
Rem launched the Nainital Development Trust. Using his own money he traveled to Nainital, booked into a flea pit hotel and started badgering, pestering, shaming, recruiting, cajoling and generally making a nuisance of himself. He received promises of support from local dignitaries, exposure in local and national newspapers and endorsements from politicians. But all of this was overshadowed by people positioning themselves to gain maximum personal kudos and put one over on their rivals.
Rem was down but not out. He returned to Australia, recharged and regrouped, took his partner Di Wilson and returned to Nainital. He succeeded in pushing through a plan for a Clean Up Nainital Day. Local school children were encouraged to join in with a poster competition (winning entry shown above). The day was an outstanding success and the movement to clean up the town is gathering momentum. Nainital is now set on a course to clean itself up and perhaps once more become a prosperous tourist destination.
One person can make a difference if determined enough. Remco has now widened his horizon and is taking on more towns in India.
You can learn more on the website Rem runs, www.mynainital.com. In his other life Rem operates a major portal website for the chemical industry. The income he earns from Google advertising on www.chemlink.com.au helps fund the Good Works in India (turn off your ad blocker before going there, so you can support his advertisers!)
