The New Zealand High Commission, New Delhi has granted support for a fruit process unit run by the SHG women in Vikash Nagar Block, Dehradun District, Uttarakhand.

EFICOR in partnership with Joshua project have commenced this new income generation initiatve for 65 poor SHG women of Vikash Nagar. The community would contribute labour for fruit processing. This short term project would be for nine months.

The Joshua project which covers 12 villages of Vikash Nagar block of Dehradun District has about 40% people living below the poverty line. The community comprises of landless agricultural labourers who work in the fields of the landlords on daily wages, rickshaw pullers, cobblers, barbers and basket makers. The community literacy rate is about 35 to 40% of which the literacy of the dalit community is only about 3%. 90% of the land is owned by the high caste and remaining 10% belong to the backward caste. Wide disparities exist between the rich and the poor.