Marie and Soumaïla KANLA

Project leaders

Soumaïla Kanla (co-founder): passionate about trees and art in all its forms, Soumaila, designer who trained as a cabinetmaker in France, before returning to settle in the Fada N'Gourma region, where he comes from, to create Kalanexpo. He is responsible for design and production.

Marie Kanla (co-founder): engaged alongside her husband in the fight against deforestation, Marie is responsible for marketing and sales at Kalanexpo. Based in Ouagadougou, she manages the company's relations with its national and international clients.

The company

Located between Ouagadougou and Fada n'Gourma since 2016, Kalanexpo aims to preserve and promote the forest resources of Burkina Faso by fighting against the felling of green trees. To do this, the team travels through the bush in search of naturally dried wood to recover it and sublimate it into unique creations.

The designer, Soumaïla Kanla, does not consider dry wood as only a material to be shaped but it exposes its beauty and reveals its eternal spirit! From the imperfections, the veining, and the exceptional tones of the precious essences collected, the creator creates true masterpieces. Creations by Kalanexpo, inspired by the spirit of wood, appeal to individuals, but also to galleries and interior designers, in Burkina Faso and internationally.

The company is committed on a daily basis to a greener future: in addition to preserving green trees, the wood collected is valued at 100%, no loss of material! Kalanexpo has also set up a nursery to raise awareness and contribute to the reforestation of the region. Its profits are reinvested in a greener and more sustainable future!

The development project

With Afrique Créative, Kalanexpo is pursuing acceleration objectives. Among these, the brand wants

Improve the production line to increase performance
Strengthen the team: recruitment, employee training and sustainability of contracts
Accelerate the increase in sales by creating an online store and exhibition gallery
Maximize your social and environmental impact, in particular through obtaining a label

Activities have already been carried out

Increasing production capacity through the acquisition of new machines and means of transport, redevelopment of the workshop and training in new techniques.
Strengthening the team, motivated to commit to preserving the environment of Fada
Deployment of the distribution channel diversification strategy
Implementation of the recommendations for obtaining the “For life” label in 2020

Impact

800,000kg
green trees
preserved every year

30
referenced species

9
people in training

600
given or sold per year

10
people on average
sensitized per day

On video