In Somalia, many young people are trying to change global perceptions of what the country is really like. The east African nation is generally portrayed in the media as one which is rife with conflict, disorder and famine. CGTN's Abdulaziz Billow explains why the youth there are running tired of this lazy narrative, and want to show how there's so much more to their beautiful country.

The exhibition in Mogadishu attracted mostly young people. Organizers say the theme for this year's photo voice exhibition is social inclusion. The three month exercise brought together students and local residents to raise awareness on a broad range of issues affecting the community. Participants provided photos depicting daily life challenges facing both children and grownups in a nation emerging from decades of conflict.

Sabrina Aweys is one of several young people who displayed their photos at this exhibition - a picture is worth a thousand words - and Sabrina's choice of this photo speaks volumes- school going girls demonstrating following Somalia's deadliest terrorist attack last year.

SABRINA AWEYS STUDENT "I saw the girls and they were young - my guess is they were either 15 or 16 and they were shouting anti Al-Shabaab slogans - condemning terrorism and its perpetrators. My choice of this picture also reveals that women too take part in nation building."

The photos were displayed at the Mogadishu Peace Garden - a symbol of hope for a city often associated with deadly bombings and targeted assassinations.

ABDULKADIR ATO MOHAMED ART TEACHER "Every picture had a story behind it and we captioned each and every one of them - the message in all of them is that Somalis are resilient people - hopeful, ready to emerge from decades of conflict and can play a role in stabilizing their own country. That's why we displayed it here in public for everyone to come and take part."

Local photographers across the country have also embarked on a massive campaign to re-brand their country's lost glory - through photography - cameramen like Mukhtar Nur and many other's primary focus is showcasing positive features and images of Somalia.

ABDULAZIZ BILLOW MOGADISHU, SOMALIA "When you search Somalia on the Internet all that comes up are scenes of famine, bombings and other negative images - and for this reason that many young people have taken an initiative to counter this perception by doing the exact opposite - filling social media sites with beautiful images of Somalia - in a bid to challenge the stereotype that's mainly being enforced by western media."

For instance this beautiful mountain known as Almadow is located in northern Somalia - and if local photographers like Mukhtar Nur didn't place it on social media - no one would ever realize that this place exists.

For now, young people continue to flood facebook, instagram, twitter and other social media platforms with positive images that tell an entirely different story of a better and a promising future for Somalia. AB, CGTN, MOG - SOM.