Hugo and Annette Drews are Peace Corps Volunteers in Macedonia



Hugo Drews, a retired accountant, is helping Veles residents develop a non-governmental organization to train public financial officers. The organization's goal is to make the country's budgets and financial reports more uniform and understandable. Annette Drews, who was an elementary school teacher in La Grange, works as an English teacher in a primary school

Hugo and Annette Drews are Peace Corps Volunteers in Macedonia

Peace Corps tour is all about heart, not age

By Claire Landes Altschuler
Chicago Tribune
July 20, 2005

Life in the Peace Corps is not for the faint of heart. It's hard work under challenging conditions--anything from digging ditches to planting crops to teaching in primitive facilities. Volunteers must live the way the locals do, which often means in a one-room hut or concrete building, sometimes without electricity or indoor plumbing.

Such demands have long meant that the Corps was a young person's pursuit. But increasingly, people 55 and older, who are generally healthier and better educated than previous generations, are signing up.


[Excerpt]

Last year, Hugo Drews, 60, of Burr Ridge told his wife, Annette, that he wanted to do something for his country. "How could I say no to that?" said Annette, 58. But when he suggested they join the Peace Corps, Annette said that at first she thought he was crazy. "The Peace Corps is for young people," she told him.

But it didn't take long for her husband to convince her. Several months later, after completing the application process, including physical exams, they were off to Macedonia in southeastern Europe. .

The Drews live in Veles, a small industrial town, where they have a simple one-bedroom apartment on the edge of town.

Unemployment in Veles runs as high as 35 to 40 percent. "There are broken windows, graffiti, much disrepair," the Drews wrote in a recent e-mail. Hugo Drews, a retired accountant, is helping Veles residents develop a non-governmental organization to train public financial officers. The organization's goal is to make the country's budgets and financial reports more uniform and understandable. Annette Drews, who was an elementary school teacher in La Grange, works as an English teacher in a primary school.

Since they arrived in Macedonia in December, the Drews say they've both experienced a range of emotions, from elation to frustration.

"But we continue to hope that we are helping the people as well as leaving behind ... a better understanding of [Americans]."

When this story was posted in July 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:



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Special Events for RPCVs Join the NPCA in DC for Advocacy Day on July 28 NPCA to hold Virtual Leaders Forum on July 29 RPCV's "Taking the Early Bus" at Cal State until Aug 15 "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" in NY thru Sept 30 See RPCV Musical "Doing Good" in CA through Sept RPCV Film Festival in DC in October

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July 17, 2005: This Week's Top Stories C. Payne Lucas writes "Can we win the war on HIV/Aids?" 11 July Director Vasquez hints at expansion in Bangladesh 17 July Why didn't I spend my life helping others? 17 July John Beasley returns to the islands of Micronesia 17 July Jennifer Field to study glacier melting 17 July Tucker McCravy works with Serendib in Sri Lanka 17 July David Vick writes "Waging civilized warfare" 16 July Tom Petri says Nelson helped to promote civility 16 July Peace Corps Director Visits Volunteers in Mongolia 15 July John Bridgeland writes "An example for Boomers" 15 July Robert Blackwill says India and US have a great future 15 July Peace Corps debuts new internet recruitment tool 14 July Eight New Country Directors Appointed 13 July Shelton Johnson Honored for Buffalo Soldier program 13 July Bill Lorenz leads trek for Sudanese refugees 12 July Emilie Pryor says Peace Corps ignores Lariam problems 12 July DDN is Award Finalist for reporting on PC Safety 11 July Randy Lewis to hire 200 people with cognitive disabilities 10 July Maryland needs people like Tom Lewis 10 July Dan DeWayne puts on music festival 10 July

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July 9, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Mike Honda says Democratic Party in paradigm shift 6 July Peace Corps Suspends Program in Gabon 8 July Thomas Tighe says Thailand is faring better 8 July Michael Parmly appointed top diplomat in Cuba 7 July Paul Timmreck got his start trailing garbage trucks 7 July Shays says London explosions should be wakeup call 7 July Tom Murphy says: Be Vigilant, But Not Afraid 7 July Gov. Doyle saddened and outraged by London Attacks 7 July RPCV Films organizing Film Festival 6 July Terez Rose writes Aid for Africa – Will the G8 Help? 6 July Carl Youngberg takes ballet to Honduras 6 July Kafatia faces a mandatory eight years in prison 6 July Bill Moyers says LBJ hated FOIA law 6 July Andy and Trudy Anderson work with The Hunger Project 5 July Thomas A. Dine deplores the attack against reporter 5 July Mime Troupe tackles history, politics and the World Bank 4 July Francis Mandanici says investigation could lead to impeachment 4 July Beth Bedinotti says motherhood is "toughest job" 1 July Director Vasquez Visits Volunteers in Eastern Caribbean 1 July

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July 8, 2005: PC suspends program in Gabon Peace Corps announced the suspension of the program in Gabon citing the high cost of the program. In addition, a 2003 Inspector General report documented safety and security costs of $1 million that would be necessary to keep the program operating successfully. Background: In 1998 Peace Corps Volunteer Karen Phillips was was found murdered in the weeds about 100 yards from her home in Oyem, Gabon. Her killer has never been brought to justice.

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