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LONG-suffering parents of fussy eaters in Africa have begun trying to guilt their kids into eating their vegetables by reminding them that there are less fortunate children in the world, particularly in poor countries such as Ireland.

Exclamations such as “there are kids in Ireland would love that broccoli” and “if you don’t hurry up and eat those carrots, I’m going to send them to the babies in Ireland” have become all too common around the dinner-tables in African countries.

“I hate eating vegetables, but my Mom always reminds me that there are starving children in Ireland, ” said 7-year-old Adis Emkwaoube, reluctantly munching through a salad.

“It makes me sad to think that there are kids my age in Ireland who go hungry because their parents don’t have enough money to feed them. Mom also told me that I should keep my room tidy because some Irish kids have to sleep in hotel rooms because they don’t have proper homes of their own”.

Adis’s mother spoke to us about her tactics at dinner times, admitting that she’s not proud of laying a guilt trip on him every time they sit for a meal.

“I’ve seen the news, about the years of cuts to child services in Ireland, about families who can’t make ends meet,” said Ithe Emkwaoube, referring to Ireland’s 1,000 + children who are currently homeless. “And I feel bad for using such a crisis to guilt my kid into eating his greens. But there’s just no other way to get him to eat his veggies.

“If it was up to him, he’d just eat potato waffles for every meal. What’s a mother to do?” she concluded.