Privacy Policy

Who this policy covers

This policy applies to beneficiaries and community members, children and young people, donors and supporters, staff, volunteers, consultants, applicants, partners, visitors and anyone involved in our investigations or safeguarding processes.

Information we collect

We collect only information that is relevant and proportionate to a clear purpose. Depending on your relationship with us, this may include:

• Contact and identity details, including name, address, telephone number, email address, age and identification details where needed.
• Programme information, such as household circumstances, needs assessments, service records, attendance, referrals and outcome data.
• Special category or sensitive information, including health, disability, ethnicity, religion, protection concerns, allegations, case notes and information about a child or family, where necessary and permitted by law.
• Employment and volunteer information, such as recruitment, payroll, performance, training and emergency-contact records.
• Donor and supporter information, including contact preferences, giving history and payment details processed through approved providers.
• Photographs, video, audio, stories and quotations, where consent or another lawful basis has been obtained.

How we use information

We use personal information to deliver and improve services; assess needs and eligibility; protect people from harm; manage our staff and volunteers; communicate with donors and supporters; meet legal, contractual, reporting and audit duties; investigate concerns; and maintain secure records.

Children and safeguarding

Children’s information receives heightened protection. We collect the minimum necessary, use age-appropriate explanations and seek consent from a parent, guardian or other authorised person where required. We may share information without consent where this is necessary to prevent or respond to harm, abuse, exploitation or another serious safeguarding concern, or where required by law. Safeguarding and investigation records are restricted to authorised personnel and are handled confidentially.

Photographs, stories and media

We obtain clear, informed consent before using identifiable photographs, video, audio, names, stories or quotations for publicity, fundraising, reports, websites or social media, unless a lawful exception applies. Consent can be withdrawn for future use by contacting us. We avoid images or stories that could expose a person, especially a child or survivor, to stigma, harm, retaliation or identification risk.

When we share information

We share information only when necessary, with appropriate safeguards. Recipients may include:

• Service providers and professional advisers that support our operations, under confidentiality and data-protection obligations.
• Funders, partners and regulators, usually in anonymised or aggregated form where this meets the purpose.
• Health, social care, protection and law-enforcement agencies where needed to deliver a service, protect someone from harm, investigate a concern, comply with law or defend legal rights.
• Other organisations in a referral pathway, where you agree or where a lawful safeguarding or emergency reason applies.

If information is transferred outside the country where it was collected, we will use appropriate legal and security safeguards.

Retention and disposal

We keep personal information only for as long as needed for the purpose for which it was collected, including legal, safeguarding, contractual, financial, audit and reporting requirements. We securely delete, anonymise or archive records when the retention period ends. Safeguarding and investigation records may be held longer where necessary to protect people or meet legal obligations.

Security

We use proportionate technical, physical and organisational measures to protect information. These include role-based access, confidentiality commitments, secure storage, staff training, password and device controls, secure disposal and procedures for responding to suspected data breaches. No system is completely secure, but we work to reduce risks and act promptly when issues are identified.

Your privacy rights

Subject to applicable law, you may ask to access, correct, erase or restrict use of your information; object to certain processing; withdraw consent; receive a copy of information you provided; or complain to a relevant data-protection authority. Some requests may be limited where disclosure could put someone at risk, compromise an investigation, breach another person’s privacy or conflict with a legal duty. We will explain any limitation that applies.

Contact and complaints

To ask a privacy question, exercise your rights or raise a concern, contact us through 0787715035 or Plot 12 Musat Lane, Mpumudde West Zone B, Mpumudde Ward, Jinja South Division, Jinja City, Uganda. If you are unhappy with our response, you may contact the Personal Data Protection Office in Uganda.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when our work, legal requirements or security practices change. The latest version will be available on this website.