The winning speech

JORDYN JOY PILLAY

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Amandla awethu,

Amandla awethu,

Power is Ours!

This is what my people in South Africa cried out, for freedom and diversity

Te Moana Nui o te Kanorau,

The ocean wide and vast

Stretched out to an infinite limit,

Mysterious, unpredictable, sometimes so tranquil and then so fierce

I look at the ocean .... It scares me, I have to admit

I am oblivious, unheeding and in complete confusion ..

I pause, I look into the ocean ... then so reflective, so transparent

Wait ... I am the ocean

I am the ocean ... I stretch out wide

My attitude, my thoughts, behavioural responses, emotions ... I cannot hide

Wide and vast I cover the earth, like the waters there's many of us

I am the ocean

I cannot be read

I am calm and soothing and so accepting

Come to me... I'll bring you peace. I see no difference

I am home to fins and feathers, skin and scales ... home to

many, I freely give. I welcome you warmly. Abide in me

I am the ocean, strong ... influential

Yet I don't see my strength

The influence and impact I can cause by taking the first step

Wait, stop ...

Today I despise you all. I feel like a whirlpool ... be my victim

I take delight in seeing you squirm, hands stretched out crying for my help but I kick you in the face and see you drift away, deeper and deeper until you sink ... at the bottom of my floor, helpless

I am tossing like wild waves to and fro

Can't make up my mind how to be

To embrace or not

I am the ocean ... I am not free

I am never accepted for truly being me

I stop to look ...

A deep look into me

Am I truly open to diversity

Oh no I am not, I am not portraying authenticity

Why oh why would I be so fake

I'm tired of trying, I'm tired of persevering, I'm even tired of telling people to try. It doesn't help