**Privacy Policy**

At *Girls Education Response Initiative (GERI)*, we are committed to protecting your personal information and ensuring that your privacy is respected and maintained. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and protect the personal data of our beneficiaries, partners, volunteers, employees, and website visitors.

### 1. Introduction GERI is a youth-led, non-political, and non-profit national organization registered in South Sudan, dedicated to promoting education, health development, peacebuilding, and women’s leadership. In the course of our work, we collect and manage personal data responsibly to enhance transparency, accountability, and service delivery.

This policy applies to all our physical operations, digital platforms, mobile data collection tools, and communication systems, ensuring that your information is handled with the utmost care and in compliance with relevant data protection laws.

### 2. Information We Collect We may collect the following types of information: - **Personal Information:** such as your name, gender, date of birth, email address, physical address, and contact details. - **Professional Information:** including your occupation, organization, and area of expertise when engaging as a partner or volunteer. - **Educational and Health Information:** when participating in our educational or community health programs, including school enrollment details or health outreach participation data. - **Digital Data:** including website usage data, IP addresses, and cookies to help us understand how users interact with our platforms.

We collect this information either directly (through forms, interviews, and online submissions) or indirectly (through authorized third-party partners and automated systems).

### 3. How We Use Your Information Your data is used to: - Deliver and improve our programs and services. - Communicate effectively with you regarding initiatives, events, and opportunities. - Maintain accurate beneficiary, donor, and partner records. - Comply with legal obligations and donor reporting requirements. - Conduct research and assessments that help us improve community impact.

We will not sell, rent, or lease your personal data to third parties. Any data shared externally is done strictly under confidentiality agreements and for the purpose of legitimate organizational activities.

### 4. Data Storage and Security All personal data is stored securely on password-protected systems and encrypted databases, with restricted access granted only to authorized personnel. GERI implements administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction of your information.

In cases where data is transferred electronically (for instance, through cloud services), GERI ensures that all service providers meet international data protection standards.

### 5. Data Retention and Deletion We retain personal data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or as required by law. Once data is no longer needed, it will be securely deleted or anonymized to prevent unauthorized retrieval.

You may request that we delete your personal data at any time, and we will honor such requests unless retention is required by law or for legitimate organizational reasons.

### 6. Your Rights You have the right to: - Access the personal data we hold about you. - Request correction or updating of inaccurate information. - Request deletion of your data (“Right to be Forgotten”). - Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. - Request information on how your data is being processed.

To exercise these rights, contact us through our official email or physical address provided on our website.

### 7. Cookies and Online Data Collection Our website uses cookies to improve user experience and analyze web traffic. Cookies help us understand which pages are most useful to our visitors. You can choose to disable cookies through your browser settings, though this may limit some website functionalities.

### 8. Policy Updates GERI reserves the right to modify or update this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be reflected on our website and communicated through our official channels. Continued use of our platforms after such changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

### 9. Contact Us If you have any concerns, questions, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please reach out to:

**Girls Education Response Initiative (GERI)** Torit, Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan Email: info@geri-ss.org Phone: +211-9XX-XXX-XXX

We value your trust and are committed to protecting your privacy as part of our mission to empower communities through education, health, and peacebuilding.

*This Privacy Policy was last updated on October 2025.*