Privacy policy

Silimulalu Initiative Uganda ("SIU", "we", "us") is a community-based, youth-led organisation in Uganda, with offices in Mukono. We are responsible for the personal information collected through this website. We handle personal data in line with the Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019 of Uganda and its regulations.

We only collect information that you choose to give us, plus a small amount of technical information needed to keep the website secure.

• Contact form: your name, email address, subject and message.
• Volunteer and partnership applications: your name, email address, phone number, organisation (optional), the way you would like to help and your message.
• Story submissions: the name or alias you choose, an optional email address, your story and an optional photo.
• Technical information: your IP address, browser type and the date and time of your visit, recorded with form submissions and in our security logs to prevent spam and misuse.
• Cookies: see our cookie policy for details.

We do not ask for sensitive health information through this website. Please do not include details you would prefer to keep private in a form. If you need support, we will discuss your situation with you directly and confidentially.

• To reply to your message or application and to arrange volunteering, partnerships or school and community sessions.
• To review story submissions and, with your consent, publish your story under the name or alias you chose.
• To keep the website secure, detect spam and investigate misuse.
• To meet our legal and reporting obligations.

We will never sell your personal information or use it for advertising.

Donations are processed directly by the payment provider you choose (Harambee, MTN Mobile Money, Airtel Money or your bank). Each provider handles your payment information under its own privacy policy. We do not receive or store card numbers or mobile money PINs.

If you contact us through WhatsApp, your conversation is handled by WhatsApp (Meta Platforms) under its own privacy policy. We only use what you share with us to respond to you.

We share personal information only when necessary: with our website hosting provider, which stores data on our behalf; with professional partners or health services when you have asked us to connect you; or when we are required to by law. We may also act to protect someone's life or safety where there is a serious and immediate risk.

• Contact messages and applications: up to 24 months after our last contact with you.
• Published stories: until you ask us to remove them. Unpublished submissions are deleted within 12 months.
• Security and activity logs: up to 12 months.

Access to submitted information is limited to authorised SIU staff with individual, password-protected accounts. We use encrypted connections, record who accesses and changes information, and review our security measures regularly. No system is completely secure, but we work hard to protect your information.

Many of the people we serve are young. If you are under 18, please ask a parent, guardian or trusted adult before sending us a story or application. We will take extra care with any information about young people.

Under Ugandan law you have the right to:

• ask what personal information we hold about you and receive a copy;
• ask us to correct information that is inaccurate;
• ask us to delete your information or remove your published story;
• object to, or withdraw your consent for, how we use your information.

To make a request, contact us using the details below. We will respond as soon as possible and within the time required by law. If you are unhappy with our response, you may complain to Uganda's Personal Data Protection Office.

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last changed.