Your Privacy Matters to Us

Welcome to The Light of Engineering. We get it your privacy is personal, and you deserve to know exactly how we handle your information. This policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, and how we keep it safe.

Founded by Eric Hategekimana, we operate with a simple promise: "we help each other, everywhere, every time." That includes protecting your data like it's our own.

1. WHAT WE COLLECT

Information You Give Us

When you use our platform, we ask for:

Your name, email, phone number, and address
Your education and work experience
Your course progress and quiz scores
Payment information (handled securely by payment processors)
Anything you share with us messages, reviews, feedback

Information We Gather Automatically

Like most websites, we collect:

Your IP address and browser type
Pages you visit and how long you stay
Cookies (little files that remember you)
Where you're located (roughly)
What videos you watch and what you click on

From Third Parties

If you apply for jobs or scholarships through us, those organizations may share information about your application. We also work with Google Analytics, Stripe (payments), and email providers.

2. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We use your data to:

Create and manage your account
Send you courses, certificates, and opportunity updates
Match you with relevant jobs, scholarships, and internships
Improve our platform and fix bugs
Send you emails about courses you enrolled in
Process payments securely
Prevent fraud and abuse
Comply with laws

We DON'T:

Sell your data to anyone
Share your email with marketers
Use your information for purposes you didn't agree to
Keep data longer than we need to

3. HOW WE PROTECT YOUR DATA

We take security seriously:

Encryption: Your data travels encrypted (SSL/TLS)
Secure Servers: We use protected cloud infrastructure
Access Control: Only team members who need your data can access it
Backups: We back up data safely in case something breaks
Monitoring: We watch for suspicious activity 24/7

But be honest: No system is 100% safe. If something does happen, we'll tell you immediately.

4. WHO WE SHARE YOUR DATA WITH

We share your information with:

Service providers like Stripe (payments), Google Analytics, and SendGrid (emails) all under strict agreements
Job/scholarship organizations: only when you apply, and only with your consent
Your instructors: they can see your course progress
Law enforcement: if legally required

We NEVER share your data with:

Data brokers or advertisers
Competitors
Unauthorized third parties

5. YOUR RIGHTS

You have the right to:

Access your data: Ask us what we have about you
Correct your data: Fix any mistakes
Delete your data: We'll remove it (with exceptions for legal requirements)
Download your data: Get it in a format you can use elsewhere
Opt-out: Stop receiving promotional emails anytime
Manage cookies: Control tracking in your account settings

How to request: Email thelightofengineering@gmail.com or call +250784868557 We'll respond within 30 days.

6. COOKIES & TRACKING

We use cookies for:

Essential: Keeping you logged in
Performance: Understanding how people use our site
Marketing: Personalizing your experience

You control cookies:

Adjust settings in your account dashboard
Change browser cookie settings
Click "unsubscribe" in any email
Tell us what you prefer

7. HOW LONG WE KEEP DATA

Active accounts: Your profile stays as long as your account exists
Completed courses: Certificates are kept permanently (for verification)
Payment records: 7 years (tax requirements)
Emails: Until you unsubscribe
Support chats: 1 year

When you delete your account, we remove your personal data within 30 days (except what law requires us to keep).

8. KIDS & TEENS

Our platform is for people 18 and older. If you're younger, you need a parent or guardian's permission.

If a parent/guardian is concerned about a child's use, contact us immediately at thelightofengineering@gmail.com.

9. DATA BREACHES

If we ever discover a breach that affects your information, we'll:

Stop the breach immediately
Investigate what happened
Email you within 48 hours with details
Tell you exactly what data was involved
Recommend steps to protect yourself

10. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

We use tools like:

Google Analytics: Tracks website usage
Stripe, PayPal: Process payments securely
Vimeo, YouTube: Host course videos
Intercom: Provides customer support
Google/Microsoft Sign-In: Lets you login easily

Each has its own privacy policy check theirs if you want details.

11. YOUR CHOICES

Marketing Emails:

Click "unsubscribe" at the bottom of any email
Update preferences in your account settings
We'll stop immediately

Cookies & Tracking:

Disable in your browser settings
Use our preference center in account settings
Use browser extensions to block trackers

Account Deletion:

Go to account settings and request deletion
All personal data removed within 30 days
Certificates and records kept for verification purposes only

12. QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS?

Reach out anytime:

We'll get back to you within 48 hours. No question is too small.

13. UPDATES TO THIS POLICY

We might update this policy sometimes. When we do:

We'll update the date at the bottom
For big changes, we'll email you first
Your continued use means you accept the changes

Last checked our policy? It's good to review it once a year.

14. OUR COMMITMENT

Here's the simple truth: we treat your data like we'd treat our own. We don't sell it. We don't abuse it. We protect it. And we're transparent about everything. Our mission, "we help each other, everywhere, every time," means we help you safely.