Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 2026

The Eritrean Professionals Association in Switzerland (EPAS) is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of our community members, volunteers, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you interact with our platform and services.

1. Who We Are

EPAS is a community-driven association that brings together Eritrean professionals in Switzerland who volunteer their skills and free time to collaborate on projects that make a real impact. We operate on the principles of skill-based volunteering, collaborative ideation, and collective project building.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of personal data:

• Registration Data: Email address and password when you create a membership account.
• Profile Data: First name, last name, phone number, address, city, postal code, and profession — provided when you complete your membership profile.
• Membership Data: Membership start and end dates, approval status, recommendation references, registration timestamps.
• Newsletter Subscription: Email address when you subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
• Verification Data: One-time passwords (OTPs) used for email verification during registration.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• To process and manage your EPAS membership registration and approval.
• To verify your identity through email confirmation and OTP verification.
• To communicate with you about community events, projects, workshops, and seminars.
• To send our monthly newsletter if you have subscribed.
• To facilitate collaboration among community members on shared projects.
• To maintain accurate records of our membership base.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds under the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Consent: You provide explicit consent when registering for membership or subscribing to our newsletter.
• Contractual necessity: Processing is necessary for managing your membership in our association.
• Legitimate interest: We may process data to improve our community services and communicate relevant updates to our members.

5. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored securely on our servers. We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted passwords, secure HTTPS connections, and access controls to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

6. Data Sharing

EPAS does not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties. We may share limited information within the association's administrative team solely for the purpose of managing membership and coordinating community activities. We do not share your data with external organisations unless required by law.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your membership is active or as needed to provide you with our services. If you request deletion of your account, we will permanently remove your personal data from our systems within a reasonable timeframe, unless retention is required by applicable law.

8. Your Rights

As a member of our community, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of Access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Deletion: You may request permanent deletion of your personal data through our Delete Personal Data page.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: You may withdraw your consent for data processing at any time by contacting us.
• Right to Object: You may object to the processing of your personal data for certain purposes.

9. Newsletter

When you subscribe to our newsletter, we store your email address to send you monthly updates about EPAS activities, events, and community news. You may unsubscribe at any time by contacting us at info@eritrean-professionals.net. Upon unsubscription, your email address will be removed from our newsletter mailing list.

10. Cookies

Our website uses essential cookies required for authentication and session management. These cookies are necessary for the proper functioning of the platform and do not track your browsing activity across other websites.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. We will notify our members of any significant changes through our platform or via email. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data, please contact us: