Privacy Policy

Masinyusane ("we", "us", "our") is a nonprofit organization focused on early childhood education. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect information when you use our website and our mobile applications ("Services").

Who this policy applies to

Our mobile applications are intended for authorized adults — staff, volunteers, and partners — who deliver or support Masinyusane programs. Users must be 18 years of age or older to create an account. The Services are not intended for children to use directly.

Information we collect

• Account and authentication data: name, email address, organization/role, and login identifiers needed to provide secure access. This data is required to use the Services.
• Program and session data: information entered by authorized staff about educational sessions (e.g., date, site, attendance, skills or letters covered, notes, and outcomes).
• Child learning data: limited personal information about children participating in Masinyusane programs, such as child names, identifiers, and assessment or learning progress data (including letter and skill scores), collected solely for educational program delivery, monitoring, and improvement. This data is entered by authorized staff, not by children themselves.
• Location data: the app may request permission to collect approximate or precise device location to verify session attendance, support program monitoring, and assist with operational logistics. Location access is requested at runtime and can be denied without losing access to core app features. Precise location is used only when necessary for session verification; approximate location is used for general program monitoring.
• Device and usage data: basic technical information such as device type, operating system, app version, and diagnostic data (for example, crash logs) to maintain and improve the Services.

How we use information

• To provide, maintain, and secure access to the Services.
• To support delivery, monitoring, and improvement of Masinyusane education programs.
• To verify session activity and locations where relevant to program integrity.
• To generate aggregated and de-identified reports for internal management, partners, and funders.
• To troubleshoot issues, prevent abuse, and protect our systems.
• To communicate about Service updates, support, and account matters.

How we share information

We do not sell personal information. We may share information:

• With service providers who help us operate the Services, under confidentiality and security obligations (see "Third-party service providers" below).
• With partners and funders in aggregated or de-identified form for reporting on program results.
• For legal reasons if required to comply with law or to protect rights, safety, and security.

Third-party service providers

We use the following third-party services to operate the Services. Each processes data only as necessary to provide their function and is bound by appropriate data protection obligations:

• Clerk (clerk.com): handles user authentication and account management, including storing account credentials and session tokens.
• Google Cloud Storage (cloud.google.com): used for secure cloud storage of application data and uploaded files.
• Render (render.com): hosts the backend API and database infrastructure.

We do not use third-party advertising networks or data brokers.

Children's privacy

Our mobile applications are intended for use by authorized adults (such as staff, volunteers, and partners), not by children directly. However, authorized users may enter limited information about children participating in Masinyusane programs, including names and assessment data, for legitimate educational and program monitoring purposes.

We aim to minimize the personal data collected about children and use aggregated or de-identified reporting where feasible. We do not knowingly permit children to create accounts in the Services.

Access to child-related data is restricted to authorized personnel with a legitimate programmatic need. We implement role-based access controls and other safeguards designed to protect sensitive information.

Masinyusane maintains a comprehensive Child Protection Policy that governs how all staff, volunteers, and partners are expected to handle interactions with and data about children in our programs. You can read the full policy here: Masinyusane Child Protection Policy (PDF).

Data retention

We retain information for as long as necessary to provide the Services, support program operations, meet contractual obligations, and comply with legal requirements. We may retain aggregated or de-identified data for research and reporting purposes.

Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect information, including encrypted data transmission (HTTPS), authentication controls via Clerk, and role-based access restrictions. No system is 100% secure, but we continuously work to improve our safeguards.

Your choices

• Location permissions: location access is requested at runtime on your device. You may deny or revoke location permissions at any time in your device settings without losing access to core app features.
• Access and updates: authorized users may request updates to their account information by contacting us at info@masinyusane.org.
• Account deletion: you may request deletion of your account and associated personal data by emailing info@masinyusane.org with the subject line "Data Deletion Request". We may verify your identity before processing. We will process deletion within 30 days, except where we must retain limited records to comply with legal obligations.

Data deletion requests

You can request deletion of your Masi app account and associated personal data by emailing info@masinyusane.org with the subject line "Data Deletion Request". We may verify your identity before processing. We will process deletion within 30 days, except where we must retain limited records to comply with legal obligations.

Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, contact us at info@masinyusane.org.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date above.