privacy policy

Children’s Better Future (CBF) Privacy Policy

Effective Date: March 17, 2026

Last Updated: March 17, 2026

At Children’s Better Future (CBF), we recognize that privacy is a fundamental right. In our mission to empower youth through education and technical innovation, we collect and process information about our supporters, students, and partners. This policy explains our practices in accordance with the Data Protection Act of Zambia (2021) and international best practices for non-profit organizations.

1. Data Controller Information

Children’s Better Future, operating in Lusaka, Zambia, is the “Data Controller” for the information collected on the website betterfuture.cw.center. This means we are responsible for deciding how and why your personal data is used.

2. The Legal Basis for Processing

Under the Data Protection Act, we only process your personal data when:

Consent: You have given us clear consent to process your data for a specific purpose (e.g., signing up for a newsletter).
Contract: The processing is necessary for a contract we have with you (e.g., a partnership agreement)
Legitimate Interests: The processing is necessary for our legitimate interests as a non-profit, such as improving our engineering programs or securing the website, provided these interests do not override your fundamental rights.

3. Information We Collect

We may collect, use, and store different types of personal data:

Identity Data: Includes names, usernames, or similar identifiers.
Contact Data: Includes email addresses, telephone numbers, and physical addresses.
Technical Data: Includes your IP address, browser type and version, time zone setting, and operating system used to access our site.
Usage Data: Information about how you use our website and services.
Student Data: In the case of our technical training programs, we may collect age and educational background, always with parental or guardian consent.

4. How We Collect Your Data

Direct Interactions: You may give us your Identity and Contact Data by filling in forms or by corresponding with us by post, phone, or email.
Automated Technologies: As you interact with our website, we may automatically collect Technical Data about your equipment and browsing patterns via cookies.
Third Parties: We may receive data from technical service providers or payment processors if you make a donation.

5. How We Use Your Personal Data

CBF uses your data strictly for the following purposes:

Program Updates: To send you news about our educational milestones and technical projects (e.g., the Nexus generator updates).
Volunteer Coordination: To manage and communicate with individuals interested in supporting our mission.
Fundraising: To process donations and maintain a history of support for transparency and auditing.
Site Security: To monitor for fraudulent activity and protect our technical infrastructure.

6. Data Retention and Storage

Retention: We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.
Security: We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used, or accessed in an unauthorized way. We limit access to your personal data to those employees and volunteers who have a business “need to know.”

7. Disclosure of Your Personal Data

CBF does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your data with:

Service Providers: Third-party companies that provide IT and administration services (e.g., website hosting).
Legal Authorities: If required by the laws of Zambia or in response to valid legal processes.

8. International Transfers

Since our website is hosted on global servers, your data may be transferred to and stored at a destination outside of Zambia. We ensure that such transfers are compliant with the Data Protection Act by ensuring the recipient country has adequate data protection laws or by using specific contractual clauses.

9. Your Legal Rights

Under Zambian law, you have the right to:

Request Access: To receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Request Correction: To have any incomplete or inaccurate data we hold corrected.
Request Erasure: To ask us to delete or remove personal data where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it.
Withdraw Consent: Where we are relying on consent to process your data, you may withdraw it at any time.

10. Children’s Online Privacy

Given our name and mission, we are hypersensitive to children’s privacy. We do not knowingly collect data from children under the age of 13 through this website without verified parental consent. If we learn we have collected such data without consent, we will delete it immediately.

11. Contact Details

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Email: childbfuture@gmail.com

Postal Address: Lusaka, Zambia.

Child Protection Policy

Effective Date: March 17, 2026

Policy Owner: Chairperson, Children’s Better Future

1. Policy Statement and Constitutional Basis

Children’s Better Future (CBF) is committed to a zero-tolerance approach toward any form of child abuse, exploitation, or neglect. Our policy is rooted in Article 24 of the Constitution of Zambia, which protects children from exploitative labor and any practice prejudicial to their health and education. Furthermore, we operate in full compliance with the Children’s Code Act No. 12 of 2022, which mandates that the “best interests of the child” shall be the primary consideration in all actions concerning children.

2. Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this policy is to:

Protect children who participate in CBF educational and technical programs from harm.
Provide staff, engineering mentors, and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection.
Ensure that our operations in Lusaka and beyond meet international and national safety standards.

3. Legal Framework in Zambia

CBF recognizes and enforces the following legal protections:

The Children’s Code Act (2022): Defines a child as any person under the age of 18 and outlines the right to protection from physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
The Penal Code (Chapter 87): Provides criminal penalties for offenses against children.
The Education Act: Ensures that the learning environment, including technical skills training, is safe and conducive to the child’s development.

4. Code of Behavior for Staff and Volunteers

All individuals representing CBF must adhere to the following rules:

Visibility: All interactions with children must be conducted in open, visible spaces. The “Rule of Two” (two vetted adults present at all times) must be observed.
Physical Contact: Physical contact must be kept to a minimum and must always be culturally appropriate and non-invasive.
Professionalism: Mentors in electronics and engineering must ensure safety gear is used and that technical instruction never puts a child at physical risk.
Prohibited Conduct: Staff are strictly prohibited from consuming alcohol, tobacco, or illegal substances in the presence of children or while on CBF duty.

5. Safe Recruitment and Vetting

CBF employs a rigorous screening process for anyone working with children:

Background Checks: All prospective volunteers must provide a valid Police Clearance Certificate or undergo a criminal record check by the Zambia Police Service.
Interviews: Candidates must participate in a formal interview where their attitudes toward child safety are assessed.
References: At least two professional or community references are required to verify the candidate’s character.

6. Photography, Media, and Digital Privacy

In the digital age, protecting a child’s identity is paramount. CBF follows these strict protocols:

Mandatory Consent: No photograph or video of a child shall be taken without a signed Parental Consent Form.
Dignity in Imagery: Images must show children as active, empowered learners. We do not publish images that show children in a state of distress or vulnerability.
Data Privacy: We will never publish a child’s full name, home address, or school name on the betterfuture.cw.center website or social media pages.
File Storage: All media files containing images of children are stored on encrypted devices accessible only by authorized CBF personnel.

7. Technical Workshop Safety (Engineering & Electronics)

As a technical organization, CBF recognizes unique risks in laboratory settings:

Supervision: No child is permitted to work with soldering irons, circuit testing, or power tools without a certified technical mentor present.
Safety Instruction: Every technical session must begin with a “Safety Briefing.”
Equipment Standards: All electrical equipment used for training must be regularly inspected to prevent shocks or fire hazards.

8. Reporting and Response Procedures

If a child is suspected to be at risk or an incident occurs:

Immediate Action: Ensure the child is safe and, if necessary, seek medical attention immediately.
Reporting: The observer must report the incident to the CBF Chairperson or the designated Child Protection Officer within 12 hours.
Statutory Reporting: Under the Children’s Code Act, CBF is legally obligated to report any reasonable suspicion of abuse to the Social Welfare Department or the Victim Support Unit (VSU) of the Zambia Police.
Confidentiality: Information regarding the report will be shared only on a “need-to-know” basis to protect the child’s privacy.

9. Policy Review

This policy is a living document. It will be reviewed annually by the CBF board to ensure it remains effective and aligned with any new amendments to Zambian law.

Terms and conditions

Effective Date: March 17, 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to the official website of Children’s Better Future (CBF), accessible at betterfuture.cw.center. These Terms and Conditions govern your use of this website. By accessing this site, you agree to be bound by these terms in full. If you disagree with any part of these terms, you must not use this website.

2. Intellectual Property Rights

Unless otherwise stated, Children’s Better Future and/or its licensors own the intellectual property rights for all material on this website. All intellectual property rights are reserved.

Proprietary Designs: This includes technical blueprints, descriptions, and innovation data related to the Nexus electricity generator and other engineering projects developed by CBF and NETEC Zambia.
Creative Content: All logos, photography of our students and projects, and educational curriculum materials are protected by copyright law.
License to Use: You may view and print pages from the website for your own personal, non-commercial use, subject to the restrictions set out below.

3. Restrictions on Use

You are specifically restricted from all of the following:

Republishing any website material in any other media without prior written consent.
Selling, sublicensing, or otherwise commercializing any website material.
Using this website in any way that is or may be damaging to the organization or its reputation.
Engaging in any data mining, data harvesting, or data extracting in relation to this website.
Using this website to transmit or send unsolicited commercial communications (spam).

4. Technical Information and “No Warranties”

As a technical organization involved in electrical engineering and electronics training:

Educational Purpose: Any technical designs, circuit diagrams, or engineering concepts shared on this site are for educational and informational purposes only.
No Professional Advice: The information provided does not constitute professional engineering advice. CBF is not responsible for any injury, equipment damage, or loss resulting from the independent application of technical concepts shared on this blog or website.
Accuracy: While we strive for accuracy, this website is provided “as is,” with all faults, and CBF expresses no representations or warranties of any kind related to this website or the materials contained on this website.

5. Donations and Financial Contributions

CBF relies on the generosity of supporters to fund our five core missions:

Finality: All donations made through the website are considered final and non-refundable unless there is a proven technical error in the transaction.
Allocation: CBF reserves the right to allocate funds to the area of greatest need within our mission pillars (Education, Technical Skills, Welfare, Sustainability, and Mentorship).
Tax Compliance: Donors are responsible for determining the tax deductibility of their contributions based on the laws of their respective countries.

6. User-Generated Content

In certain sections of the site, you may be able to post comments or feedback:

Rights: By posting content, you grant CBF a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, and edit your comments in any and all forms or media.
Prohibitions: You must not post any content that is defamatory, offensive, or violates the privacy of the children and families we serve.

7. Limitation of Liability

In no event shall Children’s Better Future, nor any of its officers, directors, and volunteers, be held liable for anything arising out of or in any way connected with your use of this website. CBF shall not be held liable for any indirect, consequential, or special liability arising out of your use of this site.

8. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the Laws of the Republic of Zambia. You submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the state and high courts located in Zambia for the resolution of any disputes.

9. Variations and Updates

CBF is permitted to revise these Terms at any time as it sees fit. By using this website, you are expected to review these Terms on a regular basis to ensure you understand all terms and conditions governing the use of this website.