Effective date: 21 October 2026. Last reviewed: 21 October 2026.
1. Who we are
Youths Connect ("Youths Connect", "we", "us" or "our") operates a digital platform connecting young people with membership services, jobs and internships, scholarships, loans and funding opportunities, mentorship, volunteering, events, community features, affiliate tools, donations and related services. Contact: hello@youthsconnect.org. Our current website is www.youthsconnect.org. For privacy requests, use this email and write “Privacy Request” in the subject line.
This notice is intended to explain our practices under Kenya’s Data Protection Act, 2019 and applicable regulations, and other data-protection laws that may apply to people using the platform internationally, including the EU/UK GDPR where applicable. It is a general platform notice and does not replace a legal compliance review specific to our operations.
2. Personal data we collect
- Account and identity: name, username, email address, phone number, country, gender where supplied, member ID, account credentials (stored in protected form), profile photo and account preferences.
- Membership and transactions: selected package, membership status and dates, payment status, transaction references, receipts, refunds or disputes, wallet ledger entries and event ticket records. Card details are handled by the payment provider; we do not intend to store full card numbers or security codes.
- Applications and profile content: CV/resume, skills, education or work details, application messages and information you choose to submit for jobs, scholarships, loans, grants, mentorship or other opportunities.
- Platform activity and communications: support tickets, messages or posts you submit, contact form entries, newsletter preferences, consent records, referral/affiliate activity and service notifications.
- Technical data: IP address, device/browser information, log records, security events, pages or features used, and cookies or similar technologies where enabled and permitted.
Please do not submit sensitive personal data unless a feature specifically requests it and you have a lawful reason to provide it. We do not request passwords or payment card security codes by email or chat.
3. Why we use data and our lawful bases
We use information only for stated, legitimate purposes and only to the extent reasonably necessary. Depending on the context, the basis may be your consent, steps needed to provide a service or fulfil a membership arrangement, compliance with legal obligations, protection of users and the platform, or a legitimate interest that does not override your rights.
- Create and secure your account, verify membership and provide member dashboard features.
- Process subscriptions, payment confirmation, renewals, refunds or disputes and maintain appropriate financial records.
- Enable you to apply for opportunities, register for events, communicate with support, use wallet or affiliate features and receive services you request.
- Send essential account, security, payment and membership notices.
- Send optional newsletters, promotions or marketing only where required consent or another lawful permission exists. You can unsubscribe or withdraw marketing consent at any time.
- Prevent fraud, enforce platform rules, troubleshoot errors, maintain backups and improve accessibility, reliability and performance.
- Meet legal, regulatory, tax, audit and lawful authority requirements.
4. Consent and your choices
Where we rely on consent, we will ask for a clear affirmative action, explain the relevant purpose and record the choice where technically supported. Agreeing to the Terms and acknowledging this Privacy Policy is not intended to force consent to optional marketing. Marketing consent should be separate and optional. You may withdraw consent for future processing by contacting us or using the unsubscribe option; withdrawal does not make earlier lawful processing unlawful and does not affect processing that has another lawful basis.
Some information is required to create an account, process a payment or provide a requested feature. If you do not provide it, we may be unable to provide that service. Do not use another person’s details without authority.
5. How we share data
We do not sell personal data. We may share the minimum relevant information with:
- Payment processors such as Paystack or other enabled gateways, to initiate or verify transactions and manage disputes.
- Hosting, security, email, SMS, analytics, backup and technical service providers acting under appropriate instructions and safeguards.
- Employers, institutions, scholarship providers, event organisers, mentors or other opportunity providers when you apply, register or otherwise choose to engage with them. They may handle data under their own privacy notices.
- Administrators and authorised staff who need access to operate the platform, respond to support requests or protect users.
- Public authorities, regulators, courts or other parties where disclosure is required by law or necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
- A successor organisation in a restructuring or transfer, subject to applicable law and appropriate safeguards.
We do not permit service providers to use personal data for unrelated purposes. We do not make personal data available to advertisers for their independent use without an appropriate legal basis and required notice or consent.
6. International transfers
Some providers or servers may process data outside Kenya or your country. Where applicable law requires it, we will use an appropriate transfer mechanism, safeguards or valid consent and provide information about material risks. International access may be necessary to deliver cloud hosting, messaging or payment services. Contact us if you need more information about relevant safeguards.
7. Retention and deletion
We keep identifiable data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose collected, including service delivery, security, dispute handling and legal obligations. Retention depends on the type of record and applicable law; there is no single period for every record.
- Active account data: while your account is active and needed to provide platform services.
- Membership and transaction records: for the period required to administer memberships, reconcile payments, handle disputes and comply with tax, accounting and other legal requirements.
- Applications, CVs and opportunity records: while needed to process the application, provide the feature, resolve complaints or meet legal obligations; we will review records periodically and delete or de-identify them when no longer needed.
- Support and security logs: for a proportionate period needed to resolve cases, investigate abuse and protect the platform.
- Backups: deleted information may remain temporarily in protected backups until overwritten through the normal backup cycle, and will not be restored except for recovery or lawful purposes.
You may request deletion. We may retain limited records where legally required, for fraud prevention, payment reconciliation, disputes or legal claims. Where possible, we will restrict use and securely delete or anonymise data when retention is no longer justified. We will document and apply specific retention periods internally and review them periodically.
8. Security
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration and disclosure. Measures may include access controls, role-based access, secure connections, password protection, software updates, backups and provider safeguards. No website or transmission method is completely secure; please protect your password, sign out on shared devices and report suspected account compromise promptly.
9. Your data-protection rights
Subject to applicable law and exceptions, you may ask us to:
- confirm whether we process your personal data and access a copy;
- correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
- delete or restrict processing where legally available;
- object to certain processing, including direct marketing;
- withdraw consent where processing relies on consent;
- receive or transfer eligible data in a portable format;
- raise a complaint with the relevant data-protection authority.
To make a request, email hello@youthsconnect.org from your registered email where possible, explain the request and provide enough information to verify your identity safely. We may ask for reasonable verification and will respond within the period required by applicable law. In Kenya, you may contact the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) through its official website: odpc.go.ke.
10. Cookies, logs and analytics
The website may use essential cookies or similar technologies for login sessions, security, preferences and platform functionality. Optional analytics or advertising technologies, if introduced, should be disclosed and controlled through appropriate notices and consent tools where required. You can manage cookies through your browser; disabling essential cookies may affect sign-in or other features.
11. Children and age eligibility
Youths Connect is designed primarily for young people and its membership is intended for people aged 18–35 unless a specific programme clearly states otherwise and applicable law permits participation. Do not register if you do not meet the applicable eligibility requirements. If you believe a child’s personal data has been provided improperly, contact us so we can review and take appropriate action.
12. Third-party websites and services
Links to employers, institutions, payment services, social networks or other third-party websites are provided for convenience. Their privacy practices are governed by their own notices. We are not responsible for third-party sites we do not control.
13. Changes and contact
We may update this notice to reflect changes in services, law or our practices. We will update the effective date and provide additional notice where required. Material changes may be communicated through the website or by email where appropriate.
Privacy contact: hello@youthsconnect.org · Youths Connect, Kenya.
