Al Heiman Donates Equipment To COMACO

Al Heiman, a Consultant/Advisor at Cornell University in the department of Information Technology has donated 6 desktops, 8 laptops, and 3 scanners to WCS/COMACO. Mr Heiman collects used computers from Cornell and elsewhere in the Ithaca, New York, and donates them to schools, orphanages and community centres for worthwhile causes around the world.   COMACO/WCS and its community partners are deeply grateful for the donation Mr. Heiman has made.  The additional computers and scanners will greatly help on-going efforts to promote more efficient use and transfer of information used to support COMACO’s services in providing markets to rural communities who cooperate with conservation. 

He started donating computers about 3 years ago and his first consignment was sent to a High School in Ghana. Since then Mr. Heiman has made donations to South Africa, Jamaica, Togo, Kenya, Nicaragua, Zambia, and New York City and locally in Ithaca, New York.

Mr Heiman Who is also a supervisor for some Cornell's student employees started donating computers because computer skills have become an important component in modern education.

“I started this program because I witnessed an enormous number of computers Cornell was sending away for Recycling. It seemed an incredible waste since so many places in the world need computers. Having been a teacher, I knew how crucial computers were to schools and wanted to spread the machines to as many kids in the developing world as possible,” revealed Mr Heiman. 

In Zambia, Mr Heiman has been working with Zambian Children's Fund running the Chishawasha Children's Home and made a donation of computers last winter. Recently, he donated to the COMACO to support the programme.

I love Zambia! I taught school at the International School of Lusaka for two years in the 80's. I have many fond memories of the Luangwa Valley and would enjoy donating computers through the COMACO program. In fact, when I started thinking about sending computers to Africa my original intention was to help Zambia. And now I can!” revealed Heiman. 

He noted that COMACO was an important programme which was helping to alleviate poverty among the poor rural communities and make them self reliant. 

“I think the COMACO program is extremely valuable. The communities in rural Zambia should be self-sustaining and proud of where and who they are. I think solving the riddle of large animal populations living close to humans could help the conservation efforts of people, and save animals, everywhere,” said Heiman

Mr. Heiman advised COMACO staff to continue with the programme and pledged his support towards the ambitious COMACO program. 

“I guess my only advice is to not give up. What you are doing is incredibly important to Zambia and could be a model that would save wildlife all over the world. My self and my club will do anything we can to help,” Mr Heiman pledged