Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

StrongRoots ("we," "our," or "us"), operated by Innovate Change Leap, is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our parenting guidance platform.

This policy adheres to the principles of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), 2013 (Act No. 4 of 2013) of South Africa and applies to all users of the StrongRoots platform.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when you:

• Register an account: Name, email address, password
• Complete your profile: Parenting role, children's age ranges, household composition, co-parenting status
• Complete onboarding: Current parenting challenges, difficult situations, conflict frequency
• Use the platform: Progress tracking, self-check responses, comments and questions
• Subscribe: Payment information (processed securely by PayFast)
• Contact us: Any information you provide in communications

2.2 Sensitive Personal Information

We collect sensitive information about your parenting challenges, family dynamics, and crisis situations. We only process this information with your explicit consent and for the specific purpose of providing personalized parenting guidance.

2.3 Automatically Collected Information

• Usage data: Pages visited, time spent, features used
• Device information: Browser type, operating system, device identifiers
• Location data: IP address (anonymized for analytics)
• Cookies: See our Cookie Policy for details

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• Service delivery: Provide personalized parenting curriculum and guidance
• Progress tracking: Monitor your journey through the 12-month program
• Account management: Create and manage your account, process subscriptions
• Communication: Send you weekly lessons, updates, and important notices
• Crisis support: Provide immediate resources when you use the crisis button
• Platform improvement: Analyze usage patterns to improve our services
• Legal compliance: Comply with legal obligations and protect our rights

Legal basis for processing (POPIA): Consent, contractual necessity, legitimate interests, and legal obligations.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

4.1 We DO NOT Sell Your Information

We never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

4.2 Service Providers

We share information with trusted service providers who help us operate:

• Payment processing: PayFast (for subscription payments)
• Cloud hosting: Secure servers for data storage
• Email services: Transactional and educational email delivery

All service providers are bound by confidentiality agreements and POPIA compliance requirements.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of individuals in emergency situations.

4.4 Anonymous Data

We may share aggregated, anonymized data for research and statistical purposes. This data cannot identify you personally.

5. Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information:

• Encryption of data in transit (SSL/TLS) and at rest
• Secure password hashing (bcrypt)
• Regular security audits and updates
• Access controls and authentication
• Secure payment processing (PCI-compliant via PayFast)
• Regular backups with encryption

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to:

• Provide our services to you
• Comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax records: 5 years)
• Resolve disputes and enforce our agreements

Retention periods:

• Active accounts: Data retained while account is active
• Inactive accounts: Automatically deleted after 3 years of inactivity
• Deleted accounts: Personal data deleted within 30 days (except where legal retention required)
• Payment records: Retained for 5 years for tax compliance
• Crisis button logs: Anonymized after 12 months

8. Children's Privacy

StrongRoots is designed for adults (18 years and older) who are responsible for the care of children. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 18.

While we collect information about children (age ranges, challenges) from parents/guardians, this is only used to provide personalized parenting guidance and is protected with the same security measures.

9. Cross-Border Data Transfers

Your data is primarily stored on secure servers located in compliance with POPIA requirements. If we transfer data outside of South Africa, we ensure adequate safeguards are in place as required by POPIA.

10. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience. For detailed information about our cookie practices, please see our Cookie Policy.

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings or our cookie consent banner.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of significant changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on our website
• Updating the "Last Updated" date
• Sending you an email notification (for material changes)

Your continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or wish to exercise your rights under POPIA, please contact us:

13. Consent

By using StrongRoots, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy. For sensitive personal information, we obtain your explicit consent during signup and onboarding.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by deleting your account or contacting us at [email protected]