Advancing Autism Family Support Organization (AAFSOUG)
Draft note (remove before publishing): This policy is written to align with Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019, and general international good practice. Because AAFSOUG collects information about children and about health/disability status, please have this reviewed by a Uganda-qualified lawyer before publishing, and confirm whether AAFSOUG needs to register as a data controller/processor with the National Information Technology Authority – Uganda (NITA-U).
1. Introduction
Advancing Autism Family Support Organization (“AAFSOUG,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of everyone who interacts with us — including families we support, donors, volunteers, and visitors to our website at aafsoug.org (the “Site”).
This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and the rights you have over your information. It applies to the Site and to any personal data we collect through our programmes, events, and offline interactions with families and supporters.
By using the Site or providing information to us, you agree to the practices described in this Policy.
2. Who We Are
Advancing Autism Family Support Organization Address: Wandegeya Annex Sa Building, Level 2, Room C06, Kampala, Uganda Phone: +256 759 856 963 Email: info@aafsoug.org
For any question about this Policy or how your data is handled, contact us using the details above.
3. Information We Collect
We collect different information depending on how you interact with us.
3.1 Information you give us directly
- Contact form submissions (name, email, phone number, message content)
- Donation details (name, contact information, payment details processed via our payment provider — see Section 6)
- Volunteer applications (name, contact details, background, skills, availability, references where applicable)
- Newsletter or mailing list sign-ups (name, email address)
- Family/beneficiary information provided when a family registers for or accesses our programmes (child’s name, age, diagnosis or support needs, caregiver contact details, and related information necessary to provide appropriate support)
- Testimonials or stories you choose to share with us for use on the Site (only ever published with your explicit, separate written consent)
3.2 Information collected automatically
- Technical information such as IP address, browser type, device type, and pages visited, collected via cookies and similar technologies — see our separate Cookies Policy for full detail
- Aggregated usage statistics (e.g. through analytics tools) that help us understand how the Site is used
3.3 Special category information Information about a child’s autism diagnosis, health status, or disability-related support needs is treated as sensitive/special category data. We only collect this where it is necessary to provide our programmes and services, and we apply additional safeguards to how it is stored, accessed, and shared, as described in Section 7.
4. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide, coordinate, and follow up on our programmes and family support services
- Process and acknowledge donations, and issue receipts where applicable
- Review and respond to volunteer applications
- Respond to enquiries submitted through the contact form
- Send newsletters or updates to people who have opted in
- Improve the Site and our services based on aggregated usage patterns
- Meet legal, safeguarding, and regulatory obligations
- With your explicit separate consent, share a testimonial, photo, or story publicly
We do not use information about children’s diagnosis or support needs for marketing or fundraising purposes without separate, explicit consent from a parent or legal guardian.
5. Legal Basis for Processing
Where required under applicable law, including Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019, we process personal data on the following bases:
- Consent — for example, newsletter sign-ups, published testimonials, and photos/videos of children
- Legitimate interest — for example, responding to enquiries and improving our services
- Performance of a service — for example, processing a donation or coordinating a programme a family has registered for
- Legal obligation — where we are required to retain or disclose information by law
You may withdraw consent at any time where consent is our basis for processing; see Section 9.
6. Sharing Your Information
We do not sell personal data. We share information only in the following circumstances:
- Payment processors — to process donations securely, we share necessary payment information with our payment processing provider. We do not store full card details ourselves.
- Service providers — trusted third parties who support our operations (e.g. email/newsletter platforms, hosting providers), bound by confidentiality obligations and only given access to what they need to perform their function
- Partner schools, clinicians, or service providers — only where necessary to coordinate a family’s support, and only with the family’s knowledge and, where required, explicit consent
- Legal or safeguarding requirements — where disclosure is required by law, or necessary to protect the safety of a child or another individual
- With your consent — for example, if you agree to a testimonial, photo, or story being published publicly
We do not transfer personal data outside Uganda except where a service provider (such as a hosting or payment platform) operates internationally, and in such cases we take reasonable steps to ensure your data remains protected to a comparable standard.
7. How We Protect Your Information
We apply appropriate technical and organisational safeguards to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure, including:
- Restricted, role-based access to family and beneficiary records, limited to staff and volunteers directly involved in a family’s support
- Secure storage of physical and digital records
- Confidentiality agreements for staff and volunteers handling sensitive information
- Extra care around information relating to children, which is never published, shared publicly, or used for promotional purposes without explicit written parental/guardian consent, obtained separately from any general programme consent
No method of storage or transmission is 100% secure, but we take these risks seriously and continually review our practices.
8. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Policy, meet legal or reporting obligations, or as agreed with the individual concerned. Family and beneficiary records are retained in line with our internal data retention schedule and applicable regulatory requirements, and are securely deleted or anonymised once no longer needed.
9. Your Rights
Subject to applicable law, you (or, for a child, their parent or legal guardian) have the right to:
- Request access to the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
- Request deletion of your data, where applicable
- Withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal
- Object to certain processing, such as direct marketing
- Lodge a complaint with the National Information Technology Authority – Uganda (NITA-U) or another applicable regulator, if you believe your data has been mishandled
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@aafsoug.org. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe and in line with applicable law.
10. Children’s Privacy
We recognise the particular sensitivity of information relating to children. We collect information about a child only with the involvement and consent of a parent or legal guardian, only where necessary to provide our programmes, and we never publish a child’s name, image, or identifying story without separate, explicit written consent from their parent or guardian. Parents/guardians may withdraw such consent and request removal of published material at any time.
11. Cookies
Our Site uses cookies and similar technologies. Full details of what we use and how to manage your preferences are set out in our separate Cookies Policy.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.
13. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact:
Advancing Autism Family Support Organization Wandegeya Annex Sa Building, Level 2, Room C06, Kampala, Uganda Phone: +256 759 856 963 Email: info@aafsoug.org