Balamma is carrying for her two children leftovers from the home where she works as domestic help. Two-year-old Nitin is crying in hunger. Its nearly noon and this is the children's first meal of the day. Balamma's husband Krishna has not been keeping well. Getting work as construction labour has been very erratic recently. "It's very difficult. Even to buy and eat oil and dal, once a week, is difficult for us. I don't give the children any milk because I can't afford to buy any," she says.