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Privacy & POPIA.

1. Introduction

Welcome to the privacy policy of Embark in Knowledge (EIK), a registered South African non-profit organisation and a Hasso Plattner Foundation project. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, No 4 of 2013 (POPIA) of South Africa.
This policy applies to our website (eik.org.za and associated domains) and all interactions you have with EIK and our delivery centres, such as the Inkcubeko Centre in Thembalethu.

2. Who We Are

Organisation Name: Embark in Knowledge (EIK)
NPO Number: [Insert your actual XXX-XXX NPO Number]
PBO Number: [Insert your actual 9300 PBO Number]
Head Office: 1st Floor, North Wharf, SPAC/KAMBA, 42 Hans Strijdom Avenue, Cape Town, 8001
Delivery Centre: Inkcubeko — Thembalethu, 11123 Ngcakani Rd, Thembalethu, George, 6530

3. Information Officer Contact Details

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, or wish to exercise your rights regarding your personal information, please contact our Information Officer:

4. What Personal Information We Collect

We only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for our operations. Depending on your interaction with us (e.g., as a partner, donor, student, teacher, or website visitor), we may collect:

  • Contact Details: Name, email address, physical address, and telephone/WhatsApp numbers.
  • Organisational Details: Company names, B-BBEE certificates, and job titles for partners and grant funders.
  • Programme Data: Attendance records, school details, and educational metrics for the learners and teachers participating in our STEM education and outreach programmes.
  • Website Data: Technical data including internet protocol (IP) address, browser type and version, time zone setting, and cookies used to improve user experience (see our Cookie Policy for more).

5. How We Collect Your Data

We collect data through:

  • Direct interactions: When you email us, message us on WhatsApp, sign up for a newsletter, or partner with us.
  • In-person engagement: When you register for programmes, visit the Inkcubeko Centre, or participate in teacher support initiatives.
  • Automated technologies: As you interact with our website, we may automatically collect technical data about your equipment, browsing actions, and patterns.

6. How We Use Your Information (Purpose)

Under POPIA, we must have a lawful basis for processing your data. We use your personal information to:

  • Manage and communicate regarding partnerships, grants, and Section 18A tax certificates.
  • Track impact metrics for our STEM education and outreach programmes.
  • Respond to your enquiries submitted via email, WhatsApp, or contact forms.
  • Ensure the physical security of our centres.
  • Comply with our legal and regulatory obligations as an NPO/PBO.

7. Disclosure of Your Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your data with:

  • Service Providers: Third-party vendors who provide IT, system administration, and website hosting services (such as Hostinger).
  • Funders and Partners: Aggregated and anonymised impact metrics (e.g., attendance data) may be shared with the Hasso Plattner Foundation or other partners to demonstrate programme success.
  • Regulators: Authorities, such as SARS, to whom we are required by law to report.

We ensure that all third parties respect the security of your personal data and treat it in accordance with the law.

8. Data Security

We have put in place appropriate technical and organisational security measures to prevent your personal information from being accidentally lost, used, or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered, or disclosed.

We limit access to your personal data to those employees, partners, and third parties who have a business “need to know.”

9. Data Retention

We will only retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, reporting, or grant compliance requirements.

10. Your Legal Rights Under POPIA

Under POPIA, you have the right to:

  • Request access to your personal information (a “data subject access request”).
  • Request correction of any incomplete or inaccurate data we hold about you.
  • Request deletion/destruction of your personal information where there is no good reason for us to continue processing it.
  • Object to processing of your personal information where we are relying on a legitimate interest.
  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

The Information Regulator (South Africa)

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation or our operational practices. The most current version will always be available on this webpage.