Privacy Policy.

Yonkodo Foundation is a mental health organisation based in Ghana. We operate the Yonkodo Helpline — a free, confidential listening and emotional support service — and run awareness campaigns, volunteer programmes, and community outreach initiatives.

If you have any questions about this policy, you can contact us at support@yonkodo.org.

We collect personal information only when you voluntarily provide it through our website forms. This includes:

- Contact forms: your name, email address, phone number, and message - Volunteer applications: your name, email, phone number, preferred role, and motivation - Story submissions: your name, email, display name (optional), and your written or video story - Hall of Fame nominations: nominator and nominee details including name, email, and organisation - Newsletter sign-ups: your email address

We may also collect non-personal data automatically through website analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) including pages visited, time spent on the site, browser type, and general location. This data is aggregated and does not identify you personally.

We use the information you provide to:

- Respond to your enquiries and contact form submissions - Process volunteer applications and communicate with applicants - Review and potentially publish story submissions (with your explicit consent) - Review Hall of Fame nominations - Send newsletters and updates to subscribers who have opted in - Improve our website and services using anonymised analytics data

We will never use your information for purposes beyond what you submitted it for, without asking for your consent first.

All interactions with the Yonkodo Helpline — whether by phone, WhatsApp, or email — are strictly confidential. Our volunteers are trained to maintain confidentiality and are bound by our organisational policies.

We do not record calls or store the content of helpline conversations in any personally identifiable way. The only exception is if there is an immediate risk to life, in which case we may take appropriate steps to ensure safety.

When you submit a story through our website, you are giving Yonkodo Foundation permission to share it publicly on our website and social media channels — but only after our team has reviewed it and you have provided explicit consent via the submission form.

You may choose to remain anonymous by leaving your display name blank or using only a first name. Your full name and email address will never be published.

If you change your mind after submission, contact us at listen@yonkodo.org and we will remove your story.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party.

We may share your data only in the following limited circumstances:

- With trusted service providers who help us operate our website (e.g. form processing or email delivery tools), under strict confidentiality agreements - With Google Analytics to understand website usage — this data is anonymised and aggregated - If required by law or to protect the safety of an individual

We will always inform you if we are required to share your data in ways not described in this policy.

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose it was collected for:

- Contact and enquiry forms: up to 12 months - Volunteer applications: for the duration of your volunteer relationship with us, plus 12 months - Story submissions: for as long as the story is published, or until you request removal - Newsletter subscriptions: until you unsubscribe - Analytics data: as per Google Analytics default retention settings (up to 26 months)

You can request deletion of your data at any time by emailing support@yonkodo.org.

You have the right to:

- Access the personal data we hold about you - Request correction of inaccurate data - Request deletion of your data - Withdraw consent for data processing at any time - Opt out of newsletter communications at any time using the unsubscribe link in our emails

To exercise any of these rights, email us at support@yonkodo.org. We will respond within 30 days.

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience and collect anonymised usage data via Google Analytics.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some features of the website but will not prevent you from accessing its content.

When Google Analytics is enabled, it collects data such as pages visited, session duration, and general geographic location. This data is anonymous and cannot be used to identify you personally.

Our website and services are not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has submitted information to us, please contact us at support@yonkodo.org and we will delete it promptly.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

Continued use of our website after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us:

General enquiries: support@yonkodo.org Story submissions: listen@yonkodo.org Helpline: 0558-288-288

Yonkodo Foundation, Ghana.