Out in the dark with yellow jackets, sweets and condoms

– The idea with the candies is of course that it's a good way to make contact - especially now that they all know we have them, says Niels Nielsen, while the yellow jackets are filled with sweets.

We have met at Hotel Hans Egede in Nuuk, where the evening's Night Owls are getting ready for another trip into the night. We will hear more from Niels, who is chairman, as we follow them in their voluntary work and hear more about the Night Owls, whose purpose is to create security through visibility and conversation.

– The idea with the candies is of course that it's a good way to make contact - especially now that they all know we have them, says Niels Nielsen, while the yellow jackets are filled with sweets.

We have met at Hotel Hans Egede in Nuuk, where the evening's Night Owls are getting ready for another trip into the night. We will hear more from Niels, who is chairman, as we follow them in their voluntary work and hear more about the Night Owls, whose purpose is to create security through visibility and conversation.

Niels is chairman, and with him this Friday evening he has Pernille, Thomas and Jørgen.

Even though they wear uniforms, Night Owls still walk around like ordinary people with the same rights and duties as other citizens, emphasizes Niels.

- We are not here to be social workers or the police. But we would like to help contact them if we see any need for it. If, for example, we meet some very young children out there, we can contact the municipality's environmental patrol, he says.

The night owls also call the Greenland Police and say that they are now on their way to town.

- The police say that there will be more calm during the hours we walk around here, says Niels.

It is a cold, clear and windless night in Nuuk, which awaits us behind the hotel's sliding doors. The weather is one of several factors that determines how many people we will meet out on the street, says Natteravnene. Right now, Nuuk seems calm, even though this Friday is both payday and high season for Christmas lunches.

- It also depends on the season and the time of the month, and whether there are activities in the city. It makes a difference especially later in the evening that people have money in their pockets. We aim to be out on all weekends after paydays, says Niels.

Only a few minutes pass from the time we leave the hotel and enter the pedestrian street before the first four children pass us at Brugseni and show that they know the Night Owls. Yellow jackets equal sweets, and the children know the range in advance.

- Do you have candies, shout the children and come excitedly to the Night Owls.

- Can we have some of the yellow ones, asks one of the boys.

- The black ones are better, corrects his friend.

They each get their favorites and then they are on their way again..

- This is often the case when they just want some sweets and then run away. But they gain the confidence to seek us out. They also remember that on the day when there might be something extra they want to talk about, says Niels.

A little later, after the first candies have been handed out, we walk along Aqqusinersuaq and hear more about the Night Owls.

- I have been chairman for seven or eight years and sat on the board, almost since the Night Owls started in Greenland, and a citizens' meeting was held in Katuaq, says Niels.

The night owls in Nuuk have just had their 25th anniversary, and in addition there is an extra reason to raise the flag this year, adds the chairman.

- Every year there is a national meeting in Denmark for the approximately 130 associations in Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The association of the year will be chosen there. There you look at how the association works, what it does for the local community and so on - and this year it was us from Nuuk who won, says the proud chairman.

Bad weather unfortunately made it impossible to get someone from the association flown to the national meeting in time to receive the award.

- But I've got an agreement that we can celebrate next year, says Niels.

Niels also says that the night owls work a little differently in Greenland than in Denmark.

In Denmark, the target group is to make contact with 16-18-year-olds. Our target group up here is somewhat younger, says Niels.

There are 43 active Night Owls in Nuuk, says Niels. There is a smaller number in Sisimiut, and there have been in other cities in the past. Unfortunately, it is difficult to keep the associations alive on the coast, explains the chairman. It typically requires 15-20 active people who will go once in a while.

All of the evening's four Night Owls are in Danish, and it is important for Niels to emphasize that this is a coincidence.

- Fortunately, we have had more Greenlandic speakers join us in recent years, and hopefully there will be more. It is clear that it is easier to get in touch with children and young people when some of us can speak their own language. So there is just more talk in Greenlandic.

Fortunately, the children's curiosity and sweet tooth can help to bridge the language barriers. Now there are again a group of children who have been moved by the yellow ravens and are coming closer.

– The ones without licorice!

– Sweets for me too, here!

- Can I have a condom?

That last one was a surprising question, at least to some of us. The kid asking seems to be too young for that sort of thing. Niels takes it easy and gives him the condom.

He adds after the children have moved on:

- I don't think he really needed a condom. We have an idea that some of them might be using them for water balloons.

In any case, it's good that the boy can talk naturally about condoms and get hold of them, tonight's Night Owls agree. Then he has it under control when it really matters, sooner or later. Others have also discovered that part of the Night Ravens' packaging.

- One day a car pulled up next to us with some adults who asked if we had any condoms. It was a bit unusual... but we had that then, says Niels.

When you are out in the cold for three hours, it is good to have a little break. We take it at the BANK of Greenland, where both Niels and Pernille work. It also gives the volunteers the opportunity for some adult talk for a short remark.

But we can't go to the bank unnoticed either. It is located directly opposite the library - a popular gathering place for children and young people (perhaps because the free WiFi reaches the street). Now sweets have to be handed out again.

The evening ends with a bus tour around the city. The night owls say that many children hang out on the buses, especially if the youth clubs are closed. Then it might be good to have a few extra adults on the buses to keep track of everything.

The bus driver probably thinks so too, because he greets the Night Owls warmly. Nuuk Bussi is a sponsor, as are the hotel and the bank.

Another man greets the yellow assembly on the way out. At the other end, a drunk woman tumbles into the bus. We think she'll make it home. But it has happened that Night Owls help people who have fallen asleep in the snow on the way home from the pub, says Niels.

- I hope everyone would do that in such a situation, he says.

We meet almost no children on the bus as we drive around and end up in the city again. On the last stroll, it turns out that at least one youth club is open.

There is shouting and screaming from inside the club - that is, in the festive way. We won't go into that, though. Being a Night Raven is an outdoor activity, says one of the Night Ravens' "golden rules". The rules also say that they must always go together and that they do not get involved in disturbances.

- Whoa, can you hear there's life over there - then we're going into the school yard, says Niels.

Schools are a natural place for children to meet even in the evening. It is popular when some of the younger adult night owls play football, says Niels. It is also a way to build a bridge across generations, languages ​​and social differences.

- There go the heroes, shouts a woman from a window.

She is a night owl herself and is going out one of the coming days, we are told.

Niels says that, in his opinion, more children have been out on the street in the evenings in the last 10 years.

- It's generally okay, I personally think. It is good that they would rather have social interaction with each other than sit at home and play computer games. Of course, it can also be bad in some cases if it is because the children do not feel there is room for them at home.

During the evening, the party picks up and more drunk people start to appear in the street scene. Fortunately, it's only grown-up drunk people, and they're happy, not aggressive.

- On trips with Natteravnene in Denmark, I have unfortunately seen many young people standing outside the discotheques and being very drunk. Fortunately, it is much more unusual to see children and young people here in Nuuk like that. It is generally rare that we experience something really bad, says Niels.

Time is set aside to talk about things if something has happened during the evening. There is not tonight. The night owls return to the hotel to put away their jackets. The lobby is full of festive people, and we say goodbye and thank you to the volunteers.

- I can understand if you wonder how it can make a difference to go around in yellow jackets and hand out some candies and talk to the young people. We have also asked ourselves that, says Niels.

- But you could see for yourself, people were happy that we were here - both children and young people and others. And the police appreciate us being here. So there is value in the fact that we are just here and we are visible. I am happy to be a part of that.