( CNN ) -- Africa is poor , corrupt and rural . Right ? Think again . A team of young documentary makers is hoping to burst the myth of Africa as a dangerous backwater by shining a light on some inspiring projects taking place on the continent . When filmmaker Nosarieme Garrick hit the streets of New York to ask passersby : `` What do you know about Africa ? '' the overwhelming response was `` not a lot . '' `` It 's very big , very hot . Most of Africa 's impoverished . I 'm pretty ignorant to Africa , '' admitted one man . `` I know about some human rights violations , some wars and genocides , '' was the bleak answer from another woman . It was a dismal reflection of many Western stereotypes surrounding Africa -- one that Nosarieme is determined to change . Watch : Fighting Hollywood stereotypes . My Africa is : hopeful . The 27-year-old hopes to launch an eight-part documentary series 'My Africa Is ' -- showcasing the continent through the eyes of its insiders . `` The four things that come to mind when people think of Africa are population , problems , poverty , and promise unfulfilled -- headline media reports on the continent . But that 's not the whole story , '' Nosarieme , originally from Nigeria and now living in Washington , said . The ambitious project would cover 13 cities across sub-Saharan Africa . Organizers are trying to crowdsource funds through the Kickstarter website and hope to start filming in October if they reach their target . `` Between the 1980s and now the image of famine and wars has been ingrained in people 's minds . That 's a narrative that 's going to be hard to shift , '' Nosarieme said . `` That 's not to discount the fact that this stuff does happen . But what I was n't seeing was the solutions . '' See also : South African ballet dancer confounds stereotypes . Nigeria the troubled oil giant . First up in the documentary series is Abuja in Nigeria -- a country that until the election of President Goodluck Jonathan last year had largely lurched from one military coup to the next . This is Africa 's most populous country and its leading oil producer . Yet few in the country have benefited from the oil boom with more than half the population still living in poverty . See also : Congo 's designer dandies . The President was recently forced to sack bosses from state-owned oil company NNPC amid corruption allegations . Then there 's the ongoing violence between Muslim and Christian groups in the north , with even Pope Benedict XVI weighing in to call for an end to the brutality . Put simply , when it comes to Nigeria , the headlines are n't great . Getting on the Photowagon . But according to Nosereime , that 's only half the story . `` Nigeria is going through a turbulent time , '' she admitted . `` But there 's a rising youth who are trying to educate each other . '' Indeed the trailer for the first My Africa Is show , the focus is on Photowagon -- a Nigerian photography collective `` on a mission to show the giant of Africa through the lens . '' Launched in 2009 , their powerful images paint a very different image of Africa . It 's a well-rounded collection that captures the frivolity of everyday life , such as market scenes and football matches . But does n't shy away from some of the more familiar and gruesome notions of Nigeria such as terrorist attacks and military clampdowns . The 'other ' Nigeria . Photowagon co-founder Aisha Augie-Kuta says her mission is to `` conquer sports photography as a northern Nigerian female '' -- a bold statement for a `` very conservative '' country . But the gung-ho 33-year-old appears undeterred as she takes 'My Africa Is ' to a Nigeria vs Argentina football match in the capital Abuja . Traditional dancers and hip-hop singers entertain the crowds during half-time , while ecstatic fans hug each other with each goal . It 's an image of Nigeria that could n't be further from the grim headlines . Aisha admitted that if you believed the Western media , you would n't step foot inside Africa . `` They see us as a continent without hope , '' the mother-of-three said . `` For Africans , we see hope on the street everyday . But on the news you do n't see that . It 's always about the negative stuff . `` Instead , what we see is a lot of poor children dying from malaria or polio . If you listened to the news everyday you 'd have no hope from the bombings or corruption . Do n't get me wrong , it is happening . But it 's not a constant . It 's not the Nigeria we in Lagos or Abuja are living in . '' See also : South Africa 's underground youth culture . The 33-year-old said the country had come a long way since she was growing up under a military regime in the northern state of Kebbi . Aisha remained optimistic about democratic change in the west African country , particularly for women , but was also realistic about its pace . `` There 's a lot of opportunity and hope as to where we can be , '' she said . `` But at the same time there 's a lot of uncertainty about how much change the government can bring in . ''
Ambitious Africa aims to challenge bleak stereotypes of Africa . Filmmaker Nosarieme Garrick was shocked to find most people ' ignorant ' about Africa . ' My Name Is ' project needs Â£71,500 funding , with funds already raised . First episode looks at Nigeria 's inspiring cultural collective .