Privacy Policy

Last updated: 26 August 2026

1. Introduction

Safe Mothers Initiative (SMI) respects and is committed to protecting the privacy, dignity, safety and confidentiality of everyone who visits its website, communicates with the organisation, participates in its programmes or otherwise interacts with SMI.

This Privacy Policy explains how SMI collects, uses, stores, protects and may disclose personal information obtained through its website and related activities. SMI is a Sierra Leonean nonprofit organisation working to improve the mental health and wellbeing of mothers, families and communities through awareness, education, early identification, psychosocial support, referral, community engagement, training, research, monitoring and evaluation, and related activities.

Some people who engage with SMI may be particularly vulnerable, including mothers experiencing mental health or psychosocial challenges, children, adolescents and other at-risk individuals. SMI therefore implements appropriate safeguarding, privacy and confidentiality measures to protect the people it serves.

2. Information We May Collect

Depending on your interactions with SMI, we may collect:

1. Name
2. Email address
3. Telephone number
4. Date of birth, age or age-related information where relevant to a programme, service, safeguarding requirement or eligibility determination
5. Emergency contact information, including name, relationship and contact details
6. Organisation, employer or professional affiliation
7. General geographic location
8. Information submitted through contact, enquiry or application forms
9. Information provided when registering for events, training sessions, programmes or other activities
10. Information relating to volunteering, employment, partnerships, sponsorships or donations
11. Donation, fundraising, payment, transaction or gift-related information where applicable
12. Social media information that you choose to share with SMI
13. Health, wellbeing, maternal mental health, psychosocial, disability, counselling, referral, support-service or related information where relevant to our activities
14. Feedback, enquiries, complaints and other correspondence
15. Photographs, video recordings, quotations, testimonials or other media where applicable
16. Technical information associated with website use, including browser type, device information, IP address, cookies, pages visited, referral information and usage information

SMI only collects personal information that is reasonably necessary for a legitimate purpose related to its activities, services, programmes or legal obligations.

3. Sensitive and Programme-Related Information

SMI may collect information relating to maternal mental health, psychosocial wellbeing, health status, service needs, disability, safeguarding concerns and related programme information. This may include screening results, referral information, service utilisation, follow-up information and other programme-related information.

Such information is confidential and is only collected, accessed, used, stored or disclosed for legitimate programme, safeguarding, referral, monitoring, evaluation, research or other lawful purposes. SMI will not publish information that identifies a client unless the client has provided appropriate consent or SMI is otherwise permitted or required to do so by law.

4. How We Collect Information

Information may be collected:

1. Directly from you
2. Through website forms
3. Through email, telephone, WhatsApp, social media or other communication channels
4. During programme registration or participation
5. Through surveys, assessments or feedback activities
6. Through screening and assessment tools used in SMI programmes, including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), where applicable
7. Through community outreach activities
8. Through applications for employment, volunteering, training or partnerships
9. Through donation, sponsorship and fundraising activities
10. Automatically through cookies or similar website technologies, where applicable

5. How We Use Personal Information

SMI may use personal information to:

1. Respond to enquiries and requests
2. Provide information about SMI programmes and activities
3. Assess eligibility for programmes or services
4. Conduct screening, assessments and needs-based support planning
5. Facilitate referrals to healthcare, counselling, social support or other providers
6. Provide follow-up support and case management, where applicable
7. Register participants for programmes, events and training
8. Process donations, sponsorships, fundraising activities and related administration
9. Communicate with programme participants, volunteers, partners, donors and stakeholders
10. Monitor and evaluate programmes
11. Improve the quality, effectiveness and accessibility of SMI services
12. Maintain organisational and administrative records
13. Meet safeguarding, accountability, reporting, financial-management and legal obligations
14. Conduct research or programme learning using appropriately protected or de-identified information
15. Protect the security and integrity of SMI's website and systems

SMI will not use personal information for purposes incompatible with the purpose for which it was collected unless permitted or required by law or appropriate consent has been obtained.

6. Client and Programme Data

When SMI collects programme information for service delivery, monitoring, evaluation, research or reporting, it will seek to minimise personally identifiable information. Where appropriate, SMI may use unique client identification codes rather than names in programme databases.

Aggregated or de-identified information may be used for programme monitoring, evaluation, research, advocacy, donor reporting and organisational learning. SMI will take reasonable measures to prevent the identification of individual clients through published statistics, reports or other public materials.

7. Sharing of Personal Information

SMI does not sell personal information. Personal information may be shared where reasonably necessary and lawful:

1. With authorised SMI personnel who require it to perform their duties
2. With qualified service providers supporting SMI operations
3. With healthcare or psychosocial service providers where referral or continuity of care requires it and appropriate consent or another lawful basis exists
4. With programme partners where necessary for legitimate programme purposes and appropriate safeguards are in place
5. With financial institutions, payment processors, fundraising platforms or donation-management providers where reasonably necessary for related transactions
6. Where required by law, court order or a competent authority
7. Where necessary to address a serious safeguarding or safety concern, in accordance with applicable law and SMI policies

SMI seeks to ensure that recipients maintain appropriate confidentiality and security and that only the minimum necessary information is shared.

8. Confidentiality

SMI recognises the importance of confidentiality, particularly in relation to maternal mental health and psychosocial support. SMI personnel, consultants, volunteers and other authorised persons with access to confidential information are expected to comply with applicable confidentiality, safeguarding, data protection and organisational requirements.

Disclosure may be necessary where there is a serious risk of harm to the individual or others, where required by law, or where otherwise permitted or required under applicable law and SMI safeguarding procedures.

9. Safeguarding and Protection of Personal Information

SMI is committed to safeguarding clients, programme participants and others who engage with its services and activities, and to protecting them from abuse, exploitation, neglect, discrimination, coercion and other harm. SMI may collect, access, use or disclose information where reasonably necessary to identify, prevent, respond to or manage a serious safeguarding or safety concern, subject to applicable law and appropriate safeguards.

Where concerns involve children, vulnerable adults, mothers, infants or other vulnerable persons, SMI will prioritise safety, dignity, confidentiality and the best interests of the person concerned, while limiting access to people with a legitimate need to know.

10. Data Security

SMI will take reasonable administrative, technical, physical and organisational measures to protect personal information against:

1. Unauthorised access or disclosure
2. Loss or destruction
3. Accidental alteration
4. Misuse
5. Unauthorised, unlawful or inappropriate processing

Measures may include access controls, role-based permissions, password protection, confidentiality obligations, training, secure systems and storage, restricted physical access, secure disposal, data minimisation, permission reviews, and incident reporting and response procedures.

Access is restricted to authorised personnel with a legitimate need to know. However, no electronic transmission or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure.

11. Data Retention

SMI retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, legitimate organisational requirements, programme requirements, reporting, safeguarding, research or applicable legal obligations. When information is no longer required, SMI will take reasonable steps to securely delete, destroy, anonymise or otherwise dispose of it.

12. Cookies and Website Analytics

The SMI website may use cookies, pixels, analytics services, log files or similar technologies to improve functionality, understand usage, support administration and maintain security. These may collect browser and device type, operating system, IP address, approximate location, referring website, pages viewed, time spent, navigation patterns and other usage information.

Cookies may be essential, performance or analytics, functionality, or other cookies supporting website operation. You may manage, block or delete cookies through your browser settings, although some features may then not operate as intended. Information from cookies and analytics is generally used in aggregated, statistical or anonymised form wherever reasonably possible.

13. Third-Party Websites

SMI may link to websites operated by other organisations. SMI is not responsible for their privacy practices, content, security or policies. Review external privacy policies before providing personal information.

14. Communications

Where you provide contact information, SMI may use it to respond to your enquiry, provide requested information, communicate about a registered activity, or otherwise communicate for legitimate organisational purposes. Where communications are subscription-based or promotional, you may have the option to unsubscribe.

15. Children and Infant Information

SMI's maternal mental health programmes primarily serve mothers, but information about an infant or child may be collected where reasonably necessary for care, psychosocial assessment, counselling, referral, safeguarding, support planning or follow-up. SMI will collect only what is necessary and will use appropriate consent, assent, safeguarding and data protection procedures in accordance with applicable law.

SMI takes reasonable steps to avoid unnecessary collection, use, disclosure or publication of information that could identify a child or infant.

16. Your Privacy Rights

Subject to applicable law and legitimate organisational requirements, you may have the right to:

1. Request access to your personal information
2. Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
3. Request deletion where appropriate
4. Request restriction of certain processing where applicable
5. Object to certain uses where applicable
6. Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
7. Raise a concern or make a complaint
8. Request information about how your personal information is used

Requests should be made using the contact details below. SMI may need to verify your identity and may be unable to fulfil a request where it conflicts with legal, safeguarding, confidentiality or legitimate record-retention requirements.

17. Data Breaches

If SMI becomes aware of a personal data breach, it will assess the incident and take reasonable steps to contain, investigate and address it, including any notifications required by applicable law. Where a breach creates a safeguarding or safety concern, SMI will also follow its safeguarding procedures.

18. Photographs, Videos and Testimonials

SMI may collect or use photographs, videos, quotations or testimonials for legitimate organisational purposes, including programme documentation, public awareness, communications, fundraising, reporting and advocacy. Where appropriate, SMI will obtain informed consent before using identifiable material and will take particular care with children, beneficiaries and other vulnerable persons.

19. Changes to This Privacy Policy

SMI may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in its programmes, website, technology or applicable legal requirements. An updated policy will be posted with a revised Last Updated date.

20. Contact Us

Safe Mothers Initiative (SMI)
Sierra Leone
Email: safemothersinitiative@gmail.com

You may use these contact details to ask questions, raise privacy concerns, make complaints or submit requests relating to your personal information.

21. Acceptance and Consent

By using the SMI website, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy. Where consent is required for a particular activity, SMI will seek that consent separately. This Privacy Policy should be read together with SMI's Website Terms and Conditions and Safeguarding Policy.