A grocery store that recently opened in Jalalabad, eastern Afghanistan, has been named after Tetsu Nakamura, a Japanese doctor who was killed by militants in the town in December 2019.
A local group committed to continuing Nakamura's efforts to combat poverty invested in the business with the aim of creating jobs for poor young people.
Store manager Maseehullah, a local agricultural engineer who had met Nakamura, and others invested 1.5 million dollars (about 160 million yen) into the project.
Maseehullah, 31, said he wanted to open the store, Nakamura Star Ploranzai, which currently employs 12 people, to continue Nakamura's legacy of creating employment in irrigation and agriculture.
Nasruddin, 35, an employee who cannot read or write, earns 9,000 afghani (about 12,000 yen) a month and is now able to support his four children.
Maseehullah hopes to hire another 50 employees in the future. "I want young people to put down their guns and come to work," he said.
Moves to name schools and parks after Nakamura have been gaining momentum in Afghanistan.
One of the suspects in his murder was detained by the Afghan intelligence agency this month but has not yet been prosecuted.
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