1^ST Place: Megan Meyer

Extract: “I could innocently walk the streets as the offender was carried off, to the cage he would be a prisoner to, for a period I felt was not long enough. I felt bruised, and brittle like I could shatter at any second. I could see all my pieces lying on the floor, scattered and unsalvageable. A few pieces long lost along with my dignity. I had so little courage left in me to face the reality. I was broken. I was impure. I was raped. The safety in my skin was stolen from me. My proven innocence did not win my freedom back. That simple rock, glistening under the bright moon and long forgotten by now, gave me control. I took my safety back. I took my freedom back”

2^nd Place: Mpumelelo Ntozakhe

Extract: “There is no river that never runs dry, so his tears ran dry and the only two options left were to take that poor suffering life and save himself from all the long nights and long days of knocking but no doors opening or to stay strong and persevere the long hours of tears and heavy rock lifting moments in this life he tries to build and make his mom proud as one of his biggest dreams. Like a wise and driven young man, he chooses the second option and cries aloud in his silence as and hopes that someday, this big stone will break, and water will gush out and wash away all the poverty and tears path that have found residence on his face.”

3^rd Place: Basetsana Seboko

Extract: “For me, freedom feels like I am or had to be or had to go through that in the order for me to be the person I am today. It’s almost impossible to have a building without stones, that’s what freedom feels or looks like to me to have it and see it everywhere. In how we clothe ourselves, our attitude, our sense of style of fashion, and what we choose to be at the end of the day.”