Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Ishema (“Ishema,” “we,” “our,” or “us”), a digital employment and career development platform designed to connect job seekers, employers, recruiters, and career professionals across Rwanda through our mobile application, website, and related digital services (collectively referred to as the “Services”).

At Ishema, we believe that trust is the foundation of meaningful professional connections. Protecting your personal information is an essential part of maintaining that trust. We are committed to handling your personal data responsibly, transparently, and securely while respecting your privacy rights.

This Privacy Policy explains how Ishema collects, uses, stores, protects, shares, and otherwise processes your personal information whenever you use our services. It also explains your rights regarding your personal information and the choices available to you.

We encourage you to read this Privacy Policy carefully before creating an account or using any of our Services. By accessing or using Ishema, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, you should not access or use our Services.

2. About Ishema

Ishema is a technology platform that connects talented individuals with employment opportunities while helping employers discover qualified candidates more efficiently. Our platform enables users to:

• Create professional career profiles;
• Search and apply for employment opportunities;
• Recruit and manage candidates;
• Exchange professional messages;
• Participate in career-related discussions and communities;
• Attend career events and networking opportunities;
• Build professional connections; and
• Access additional career services that may be introduced in the future.

At launch, Ishema’s Services are primarily intended for users located within the Republic of Rwanda. Ishema is registered and operates from Kigali, Rwanda.

For the purposes of applicable data protection laws, Ishema acts as the data controller, meaning we determine why and how your personal information is collected and processed.

3. Our Commitment to Privacy

Your privacy is important to us. Whenever we process your personal information, we follow these principles:

• Lawfulness: We collect and process personal information only where we have a lawful reason to do so.
• Transparency: We explain what information we collect, why we collect it, and how it is used in language that is clear and understandable.
• Purpose Limitation: We collect personal information only for specific, legitimate, and clearly identified purposes related to operating and improving Ishema.
• Data Minimization: We seek to collect only the information reasonably necessary to provide our Services and fulfill our legal and operational obligations.
• Accuracy: We encourage users to keep their information accurate and up to date so that employers, recruiters, and other users can rely on it.
• Security: We use appropriate technical and organizational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, loss, or destruction.
• Accountability: We continuously review our privacy practices and security measures to help ensure that personal information is handled responsibly.

4. Scope of This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies whenever you interact with Ishema, including when you:

• create or register an Ishema account;
• browse our website or use our mobile application;
• apply for or publish employment opportunities;
• communicate with other users;
• participate in community discussions or events;
• upload documents, resumes, portfolios, or other files;
• contact our customer support team; or
• otherwise access or use any feature or service provided by Ishema.

Our Services may contain links to websites or services operated by third parties. This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected by Ishema. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you choose to use.

5. Applicable Law

Ishema is committed to protecting personal information in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Rwanda, including Law No. 058/2021 of 13 October 2021 Relating to the Protection of Personal Data and Privacy and applicable regulations issued by competent authorities in Rwanda. Nothing in this Privacy Policy is intended to reduce or limit any rights granted to individuals under applicable law.

6. Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with our Services, the type of account you create, and the features you use.

Account Registration Information

When creating an account, we may collect:

• Full name
• Email address
• Mobile phone number
• Password (stored securely using industry-standard hashing, never in plain text)
• Account type (Job Seeker, Employer, Recruiter, or other supported types)
• Profile photograph (optional unless required for verification)

Job Seeker Profile Information

If you register as a Job Seeker, you may choose to provide additional professional information including: professional headline; personal biography; current location or district; education and employment history; skills and competencies; languages; certifications; career interests and preferences; salary expectations; availability; portfolio links; resume or CV; cover letters; professional references; and a short audio introduction if you choose to record one.

Providing certain profile information is optional; however, completing your profile may improve your visibility to employers.

Employer & Company Information

If you create an Employer account, we may collect: company name, logo, industry, size, location, description, and website; recruiter contact information; and verification or business registration documents where required.

Recruitment Activity

We may collect information relating to your recruitment activities, including job postings, required qualifications, salary ranges, interview schedules, candidate evaluations, recruitment notes, hiring decisions, and communication with applicants.

User Communications

When you communicate through Ishema, we may collect private messages, attachments, images, shared documents, voice recordings (where supported), customer support communications, feedback submitted through surveys, and reports submitted regarding other users or content.

Community Content

If you participate in Ishema’s community features, we may collect posts, comments, reactions, uploaded images, shared files, and event registrations. Content you publish in community areas may be visible to other users depending on your privacy settings.

Documents and Files You Upload

You may upload files including CVs, resumes, academic certificates, professional certifications, identification documents (where required), company registration documents, portfolio documents, images, and audio recordings. Uploaded documents are used only for the purposes for which they were provided.

Information Collected Automatically

When you access or use Ishema, certain technical information is collected automatically, including device model, operating system, app version, IP address, connection type, time zone, and usage information such as login history, pages viewed, features used, jobs viewed, search history, session duration, error reports, and performance diagnostics.

Location Information

With your permission, Ishema may collect location information (approximate location, city, district, GPS, or country) to recommend nearby opportunities, improve search results, and enhance fraud prevention. You may manage location permissions through your device settings.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

When you visit our website, Ishema may use cookies and similar technologies to remember your preferences, maintain secure login sessions, analyze website performance, and improve functionality. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Where required by applicable law, we will request your consent before using non-essential cookies.

Information from Third Parties

Subject to applicable law, Ishema may receive information about you from trusted third-party sources, including identity verification providers, employer verification services, business registration databases, and authentication providers. Any information received from third parties will be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Information We Do Not Intentionally Collect

Unless specifically required for a legitimate purpose or permitted by law, Ishema does not intentionally collect information relating to racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, political opinions, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data used solely for identification, health information, or sexual orientation. If such information is voluntarily included in documents you upload, it will be processed only to the extent necessary to provide the Services or comply with legal obligations.

7. How We Use Your Information

• To match job seekers with relevant opportunities based on skills, experience, and preferences.
• To let employers discover, contact, and evaluate candidates, and vice versa.
• To operate core features: messaging, community posts, events, notifications, and applications.
• To verify company accounts and moderate reported content.
• To maintain the security of accounts and prevent fraud or abuse.
• To communicate with you about your account, such as password resets or important updates.
• To comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests from authorities.
• To analyze and improve the quality, reliability, and security of the Services.

8. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only in these situations:

• With other users, as intended by the feature. Your seeker profile is visible to employers you apply to or chat with when it’s set to be discoverable. Messages are visible only to the people in that conversation. Community posts are public to other users.
• With service providers who help us run Ishema — for example, file storage for uploaded documents, photos, and audio recordings, and email delivery for account notifications. These providers are only permitted to use your data to provide that service.
• For legal reasons, if required by law or to protect the rights, safety, or property of Ishema, our users, or the public.
• In a business transfer, if Ishema is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

9. Your Choices & Rights

• You can edit or remove most profile information (education, experience, skills, certifications, resume, audio introduction, photo) directly in the app at any time.
• You can delete individual pieces of content, such as a job application, message, or community post you’ve created, subject to normal moderation and record-keeping needs.
• You can request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data, or ask us to close your account entirely, by contacting us at the email below.
• Where consent is the legal basis for processing, you may withdraw your consent at any time; however, withdrawing consent may affect your ability to use certain features.
• You may manage location permissions and cookie preferences through your device and browser settings respectively.

10. Data Retention

We keep your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Services. If you delete your account, we remove or anonymize your personal data within a reasonable period, except where we need to retain limited records to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, or enforce our agreements.

11. Data Security

Passwords are stored using industry-standard one-way hashing and never in readable form. Access to your account is protected by authentication tokens, and administrative actions on the platform are logged. We use appropriate technical and organizational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, loss, or destruction. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work continuously to protect your information.

12. International Data Transfers

Some of the service providers we use to store files and send emails may process data outside Rwanda. Where this happens, we take steps to ensure your information continues to receive an appropriate level of protection consistent with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.

13. Children’s Privacy

Ishema is a job-matching platform intended for people of working age. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will let you know through the app or by email before they take effect. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page always reflects the latest version. Your continued use of the Services after the effective date of any revised Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact us:

Ishema
Kigali, Republic of Rwanda
Email: ishema.app@gmail.com

We are committed to responding to inquiries within a reasonable time and to addressing concerns fairly and transparently.