On December 7th was held in Paris the 9th edition of the Positive Planet Awards, around Jacques Attali, in the presence of many leading figures.
Martina Umemura with her sponsors, Laura Flessel and Laura Sévénier. © Positive Planet.
Among the 2016 Positive Planet winners, Martina Umemura, a German microentrepreneur based in Japan for nearly thirty years, received the Positive Citizen Award by hands of five-time Olympic medalist fencer Laura Flessel and Laura Sévénier, Director of Communications, who came to support the laureate on behalf of Altavia group’s Founder and CEO, Raphael Palti.
In 2012, Martina Umemura founded Umemura Martina Kesennuma FS Atelier Co., a company specializing in the production and sale of knitwear in Kesennuma, a city strongly affected by the 2011 Tsunami, to allow victims who have lost all activity to recreate links in knitting together.
“Social bond is at the heart of her project”
“Altavia has chosen to support the 2016 Positive Citizen Award because we have been touched by Martina Umemura’s project, explains Laura Sévénier. Faced with the disaster of Fukushima, Martina decided to act for the country where her children were born. Social bond is at the heart of her project, which she helped grow through trade and entrepreneurship, offering employment to some fifteen women who had none. This university professor, who admits having no experience in business, has turned a simple hobby into a genuine social knitwear business. So many values that are dear to Altavia and that we want to support. We hope to be able to help her perpetuate this project and to make it grow a little more. ”
© Positive Planet