What happened today
On September 16, all three trackers checked in together at the Port of New York and New Jersey, the last stop on US soil. Then they went quiet, which is exactly what we expect. Trackers like ours report only when a phone passes close by, and there are no phones in the middle of the Atlantic.
Today, 25 days later, MACONA-TKR-3 checked in at the Tanger Med container port in Ksar El Majaz, Morocco, on the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. Our shipment has crossed the ocean.
Where the tracker is now, and where it is going. The shipment is at the northern tip of Africa, and the journey south to West Africa is still ahead.
Why Morocco?
Ships bound for West Africa often stop at large hubs like Tanger Med, one of the busiest container ports on the Mediterranean, where containers are moved between vessels before the final leg of the voyage. A ping here is a waypoint, not the destination.
MACONA-TKR-3 at the Tanger Med quay, with container stacks on every side. You do not have to take our word for it: you can watch the same map we do on the live tracker.
Update: all 3 trackers are together
When this post first went up, only 1 of our 3 trackers had reported. We guessed the other 2 were inside a container that had not been opened yet, and that we would hear from them further south. We were too quick. It was only a matter of time.
A few hours later, MACONA-TKR-1 and MACONA-TKR-2 showed up on the same Tanger Med quay as MACONA-TKR-3, and all 3 checked in within 1 minute of each other. All 3 bags are accounted for, 3,821 miles from where they started, and still traveling together.
All 3 trackers, same place, same distance from home: 3,821 miles.
One honest note: MACONA-TKR-1 is now reporting a low battery, so it may go quiet before arrival. MACONA-TKR-2 and MACONA-TKR-3 will keep reporting, and we will post every ping on the live tracker.
What your gift does from here
The hardest part of the journey is still ahead: the final voyage south, customs clearance on arrival, and the last miles over land to the women and children the shipment is for. That is the part donations pay for. In kind donations fill the bags. Dollar donations carry them the rest of the way.
Get involved
Your gift keeps the pipeline full. You can give through MACONA's donation page, and if your employer offers matching gifts you may be able to double it through Benevity. Our promise to you stays the same: honest updates on where your donation is and what it delivered, all the way to Mali.
Your Gift at Work
Double Your Impact
If your employer offers matching gifts, search for MIMI AFRICAN CHARITIES (EIN 93-3813688) in Benevity. Corporate matches have funded hydration hubs, school supplies, and full distribution days.