1. Personal Information We May Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with HaHaHelps.

Information you provide directly:

We may collect information such as:

• your name;

• email address;

• phone or WhatsApp number, where provided;

• city, country, or general location;

• organisation, employer, university, occupation, or field of study;

• information contained in enquiries or correspondence you send to us;

• information relating to partnership, training, programme, media, or other enquiries;

• links to a LinkedIn profile, CV, résumé, portfolio, website, or examples of your work;

• volunteer interests, availability, skills, qualifications, experience, and motivations;

• information about previous experience working with children, adolescents, schools, youth programmes, community organisations, research, or psychosocial services where relevant to a volunteer application; and

• any other information you voluntarily choose to provide.

We aim to collect only information that is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it is requested.

Information collected automatically:

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically through Squarespace and related technologies. This may include information such as:

• browser and device information;

• IP address;

• pages visited;

• approximate location derived from technical information;

• referring pages or websites; and

• information about how visitors interact with the website.

The extent of this collection depends on our website configuration, cookie settings, and your privacy choices.

2. How We Use Personal Information

We may use personal information to:

• respond to questions, enquiries, or requests;

• communicate with organisations interested in HaHaHelps programmes, partnerships, or facilitator training;

• assess and manage potential volunteer opportunities;

• communicate with volunteer applicants about their submissions;

• carry out appropriate screening or onboarding for volunteer roles where necessary;

• manage relationships with partners, supporters, service providers, and other stakeholders;

• operate, maintain, secure, and improve the HaHaHelps website;

• understand how the website is being used;

• protect the safety and integrity of HaHaHelps, its programmes, participants, volunteers, partners, and systems;

• comply with applicable legal, regulatory, safeguarding, or administrative requirements; and

• keep appropriate records relating to our activities.

We will not use personal information for a materially unrelated purpose without an appropriate legal basis or, where required, informing you first.

3. Volunteer Applications

When you submit the HaHaHelps Volunteer Interest Form, the information you provide is used to assess your interests, experience, availability, and potential suitability for current or future volunteer opportunities.

Submitting the form does not guarantee a volunteer placement.

Some roles, particularly those involving young people or sensitive programme information, may require additional steps such as:

• an interview or further conversation;

• references;

• safeguarding training;

• background screening or police clearance;

• confidentiality requirements;

• additional onboarding; or

• approval by a HaHaHelps partner organisation.

We do not ask applicants to submit identity documents, police-clearance certificates, medical information, or similar sensitive records through the initial public volunteer application unless specifically requested at a later stage through an appropriate process.

Volunteer applications that do not result in a placement may generally be retained for up to 12 months so that we can consider applicants for suitable future opportunities, unless you request earlier deletion or there is a lawful reason for us to retain the information longer.

4. Children and Young People

HaHaHelps works with children and young people, and protecting their privacy and safety is especially important to us.

Our general website and public volunteer application are not intended to collect personal information directly from children under the age of 18.

Where HaHaHelps collects or processes information relating to children as part of programme delivery, safeguarding, evaluation, or research activities, additional procedures may apply, including appropriate organisational permissions, parent or guardian consent where required, youth assent, confidentiality safeguards, and other ethical or legal protections.

Research conducted through an academic institution may also be governed by separate research information sheets, consent and assent materials, ethics approvals, and institutional privacy requirements. This website Privacy Policy does not replace those research-specific documents.

If we become aware that personal information from a child has been submitted through a general website form in circumstances where it should not have been collected, we will take reasonable steps to address the situation appropriately.

5. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website is hosted using Squarespace.

Squarespace and related services may use cookies and similar technologies to operate the website, maintain security, remember preferences, and understand website performance and usage.

Some cookies are necessary for the website to function. Other cookies, such as certain analytics or performance cookies, may depend on the settings we have enabled and the choices you make through our cookie banner or cookie-preference tools.

Where required, non-essential cookies will be managed according to your cookie preferences.

You can change your cookie choices using the cookie settings available on the website. You may also be able to control cookies through your browser settings.

6. How We Share Personal Information

HaHaHelps does not sell personal information.

We may share or make personal information accessible only where reasonably necessary, including with:

• people working with or on behalf of HaHaHelps who need the information to perform their role;

• partner organisations where necessary for a programme, volunteer placement, safeguarding process, or other legitimate activity and where appropriate safeguards apply;

• technology and service providers that help us operate our website, communications, forms, files, or other systems;

• professional advisers where reasonably necessary; and

• regulators, authorities, courts, or other parties where disclosure is required or permitted by law.

Where possible, we limit the information shared to what is necessary for the relevant purpose.

7. Service Providers

HaHaHelps uses third-party services to support its operations. These may include services such as:

• Squarespace, for website hosting and website functionality;

• Microsoft 365, including Microsoft Forms, Outlook, and related services, for communications, forms, administration, and information storage; and

• other service providers that may be used from time to time for legitimate operational purposes.

These providers may process information on our behalf according to their own contractual, privacy, and security arrangements.

8. International Processing and Transfers

Some of the technology services used by HaHaHelps operate internationally or may store or process information on servers located outside South Africa.

As a result, personal information may sometimes be processed in countries other than the country in which it was originally collected.

Where personal information is transferred outside South Africa, HaHaHelps will take reasonable steps to ensure that the transfer is handled in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements and that appropriate safeguards apply.

9. How Long We Keep Personal Information

We do not intend to retain personal information for longer than reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and why it is held.

For example:

• volunteer applications that do not result in placement may generally be retained for up to 12 months;

• correspondence and enquiries may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to and manage the matter;

• records relating to active volunteers, partnerships, services, or organisational activities may be retained for the duration of the relationship and for an appropriate period afterwards; and

• some records may need to be retained for longer where required by law, safeguarding obligations, dispute resolution, accounting, or other legitimate purposes.

When personal information is no longer reasonably required, we will take appropriate steps to delete, destroy, de-identify, or securely archive it as applicable.

10. Security

HaHaHelps takes reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

These measures may include access controls, password-protected systems, restricted access to information, reputable service providers, and appropriate organisational procedures.

No method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If we become aware of a security compromise involving personal information, we will respond in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

11. Your Privacy Rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

• ask whether HaHaHelps holds personal information about you;

• request access to personal information we hold about you;

• ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, or out of date;

• request deletion or destruction of information where appropriate;

• object to certain processing of your personal information;

• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, without affecting processing that was lawful before withdrawal; and

• lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your personal information has been handled unlawfully.

To make a privacy request, contact: info@hahahelps.org

We may need to take reasonable steps to verify your identity before acting on certain requests.

12. Communications and Marketing

If you contact HaHaHelps for a particular purpose, such as volunteering, partnership enquiries, or programme information, we may communicate with you about that purpose.

Submitting a volunteer application or contacting HaHaHelps does not automatically subscribe you to unrelated marketing or fundraising communications.

If HaHaHelps introduces newsletters or other promotional communications in the future, we will provide appropriate choices regarding those communications and an ability to unsubscribe where required.

13. Donations and Third-Party Platforms

HaHaHelps may link to external fundraising or donation platforms.

If you make a donation through a third-party platform, your payment and personal information may be collected directly by that provider and will be governed by its privacy practices and terms.

HaHaHelps does not receive or store payment-card details simply because the website links to an external fundraising platform. We may, however, receive limited donor information made available to us by the platform or provided by you.

14. External Links

The HaHaHelps website may contain links to websites operated by partner organisations, universities, media organisations, social-media platforms, donation services, or other third parties.

HaHaHelps is not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites. We encourage you to review the privacy information provided by those services when you leave our website.

15. Legal Basis and Applicable Law

HaHaHelps processes personal information only where there is an appropriate basis for doing so.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

• your consent;

• processing necessary to respond to a request you have made;

• processing necessary for legitimate organisational activities and interests;

• compliance with legal or regulatory obligations; or

• another basis permitted by applicable law.

Because HaHaHelps currently operates from South Africa, our handling of personal information is guided in particular by the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA).

Other privacy or data-protection laws may also apply depending on the circumstances and the individuals involved.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as HaHaHelps develops, our services and technology change, or legal requirements evolve.

When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this page periodically.

17. Contact Us

For questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or the way HaHaHelps handles personal information, please contact:

HaHaHelps
Operated by: Youness Robert-Tahiri
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Email: info@hahahelps.org
Website: hahahelps.org

You may also lodge a complaint regarding the processing of personal information with the Information Regulator of South Africa.