Missa, Adama, Nafissa and Irene are four young Africans studying at Joseph Ki-Zerbo University in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). They are attending the Agrinovia Master's, a higher professional education program on innovation and rural development, organised in partnership with Roma Tre University and with the support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). After an intensive training period in the classroom, they undertake an action-research project in the field that allows them to learn through the skills, values and daily struggles of many Burkinabe farmers. They question themselves about their role in supporting the development of the country and about their professional future. We have followed them on this academic and personal journey, entering their lives and narrating about an unusual and dynamic Africa, made up of tenacious efforts to change and improve their living conditions and those of their families and communities.