Jackquann is 14. He lives with his grandfather at Upper Camp in Alice Springs. When you ask him what it is, he says: "That's home."

Nigel is 14. He lives at a station in Double Camp. He likes school. He wants to be a footy player. He knows he needs to "go to school every day" to get there.

Both are young Aboriginal men growing up in Central Australia, where the gap between what a kid needs and what the system offers is filled by organisations like Oonchiumpa.

Jackquann on what matters

Asked what Oonchiumpa tries to do for young people, Jackquann said they are "trying to put us in boarding school. To get a life. Good life."

Asked what would stop him getting into trouble, his answer was simple:

"Look after my family."

Asked what he would tell politicians about what works better than detention:

"Programs."

He has been in detention in Alice Springs. He described it plainly: "At six o'clock you get locked down. You wait till tomorrow." What is it like? "Boring." Where would he rather be? "Home." Why? "Detention. That's not my home."

Nigel on what detention interrupts

Nigel described being away from home in one sentence:

"Bad. Like, going away from my family and stuff."

Oonchiumpa picks him up, takes him to school, takes him to the cinema. He has the goal — footy, school, a future. What was missing was someone to walk the path with him.

Kristy Bloomfield, Oonchiumpa co-founder, describes what their programs change:

"I think changing the narrative and getting these kids their own identity and being in a position to meet these kids. I think our town need to open up and introduce themselves and our businesses need to meet these kids and have that opportunity to hear their little stories and know their names and their little faces."

For judges, these two young men represent the simplest version of the question: what do young people actually ask for when you listen? Programs. Family. School. Someone consistent.