Terms of Service

1. About Yoma

Yoma is a youth agency marketplace operated by RLabs, a non-profit organization based in South Africa. We connect young people worldwide with opportunities for skills development, impact work, and employment.

Our Mission:

To create pathways from learning to earning by providing youth with verified credentials (YoID), opportunity discovery, and digital rewards (ZLTO tokens).

Our Partners:

Yoma is supported by UNICEF, Generation Unlimited, and a global network of opportunity providers, employers, training organizations, and impact partners.

Our Commitment:

Yoma is free to use for all youth and partners. We are funded by donors and development partners to ensure no financial barriers prevent access to opportunities.

2. Who Can Use Yoma

Age Requirements

Yoma is available to:

• Youth aged 16 and older who can independently register and use the platform
• Youth under 16 with explicit approval from a parent or legal guardian
• Opportunity providers, employers, and organizations who wish to connect with youth

Parental Consent

If you are under 16, a parent or legal guardian must approve your registration. By approving, your parent or guardian agrees to:

• Be responsible for your activities on Yoma
• Monitor your use of the platform
• Accept these Terms on your behalf

If you are a parent or guardian and discover your child has created an unauthorized account, please contact us at admin@yoma.world and we will remove it.

Regional Availability

Yoma is accessible globally. Some opportunities may be restricted to specific countries or regions based on partner requirements.

3. Registration and Your Account

Creating Your Account

To use Yoma, you must register with:

• First and last name
• Email address
• Password
• Country of residence
• Country of birth
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Mobile number (optional, for communications)

All information must be accurate, current, and complete.

Account Security

You are responsible for:

• Keeping your password confidential
• All activities under your account
• Notifying us immediately at admin@yoma.world if you suspect unauthorized access

Account Ownership

Your Yoma account is personal and non-transferable. You cannot sell, transfer, or share your account with others.

Keeping Information Updated

You must keep your profile information current. You can update your details anytime through your account settings.

4. How Yoma Works

Opportunities

Yoma aggregates opportunities from partner organizations, including:

• Learning opportunities: Courses, training programs, certifications
• Impact opportunities: Volunteer work, social projects, community tasks
• Employment opportunities: Jobs, internships, apprenticeships, freelance work

YoID (Your Verified Identity)

YoID is your digital credential wallet. It enables you to:

• Store verified credentials issued by partners
• Prove your skills and achievements
• Share your credentials with employers and organizations
• Build a portable, verified portfolio

YoID is based on self-sovereign identity principles—you own and control your credentials.

ZLTO (Digital Rewards)

ZLTO tokens are digital rewards you earn by:

• Completing opportunities
• Finishing training programs
• Participating in impact work
• Engaging with the platform

You can spend ZLTO on:

• Goods and services from marketplace vendors
• Airtime and data bundles
• Access to premium opportunities (where applicable)

ZLTO is sponsored by partners and funders—you never pay to earn ZLTO.

The Marketplace

The Yoma marketplace connects you with vendors who accept ZLTO. Available products and services vary by region.

Third-Party Platforms

Many opportunities require additional steps on partner platforms. When you apply for an opportunity:

1. Yoma pre-fills your application with verified YoID data (with your permission)
2. You may be redirected to the partner's platform
3. You complete the opportunity on the partner's platform
4. Upon completion, the partner issues a credential to your YoID
5. The credential appears in your Yoma portfolio

Important: Each partner has their own Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You must review and accept these before engaging with their opportunities.

5. Your Rights and Responsibilities

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Own your data: Under self-sovereign identity principles, you control your information
• Choose what to share: Decide which credentials and data to share with partners
• Access your information: View and download all your data at any time
• Delete your account: Request deletion at any time (see Section 12)
• Portability: Export your credentials for use on other platforms

Your Responsibilities

You agree to:

• Provide accurate and truthful information
• Use Yoma only for legitimate purposes
• Respect other users and partners
• Follow all applicable laws and regulations
• Not misuse the platform or attempt to harm its operations
• Keep your account secure

Data You Share

When you apply for an opportunity or connect with a partner:

• You choose which credentials to share
• Partners receive only the information you authorize
• Your full profile is never visible to partners unless you consent
• You can revoke access to shared credentials at any time

6. Partner Roles and Permissions

Youth (Primary Users)

As a youth user, you can:

• Browse and apply for opportunities
• Earn and store verified credentials
• Build and share your digital CV
• Earn and spend ZLTO tokens
• Connect with other youth (where enabled)

Partners cannot contact you unless you initiate engagement by applying to their opportunities.

Opportunity Providers

Opportunity providers can:

• List learning, impact, or employment opportunities
• Review applications from youth who express interest
• Issue verified credentials upon opportunity completion
• Access limited profile information (name, email) only after youth apply

They cannot:

• Access youth data without consent
• Initiate unsolicited contact with youth
• View full profiles or credentials without authorization

Employers

Employers can:

• Post job and internship opportunities
• Review applications from interested youth
• Access shared credentials and CVs (with youth consent)
• Connect with applicants through Yoma or their own systems

They cannot:

• Contact youth who haven't applied
• Access youth data without consent
• Require youth to leave the platform to apply (pre-filled applications available)

Marketplace Vendors

Vendors can:

• List products and services
• Accept ZLTO as payment
• Fulfill transactions with youth

They receive transaction information only as needed to complete purchases.

Yoma Technical Team

Our development and support team can:

• Access databases for troubleshooting and platform maintenance
• View user activity logs to resolve technical issues
• Investigate reports of misuse or policy violations

Access is strictly limited to:

• Authorized personnel only
• Specific data fields required for the task
• Logged and audited activities
• Requests approved by the Product Owner

7. Privacy and Data Protection

Our Commitment

Yoma operates on three privacy principles:

1. Self-Sovereign Identity: You own and control your data
2. Data Portability: Your credentials work beyond Yoma
3. Data Minimization:We collect only what's necessary

What We Collect

We collect information you provide during registration and platform use:

• Profile information (name, email, location, demographics)
• Opportunity applications and completions
• Credentials and achievements
• ZLTO transactions
• Platform activity and interactions
• Technical data (device type, IP address, browser information)

How We Use Your Data

We use your information to:

• Provide platform services
• Match you with relevant opportunities
• Issue and verify credentials
• Process ZLTO transactions
• Improve the platform
• Communicate important updates
• Generate anonymized analytics for partners and funders

Data Sharing

We share data only when necessary and with your consent:

• With partners: Only when you apply to their opportunities, and only the information you authorize
• With funders: Anonymized, aggregated data for impact reporting (no personal information)
• With vendors: Transaction information for marketplace purchases
• With analytics providers: Anonymized usage data to improve services
• As required by law: If legally obligated to disclose information

We never sell your personal data to third parties.

Data Storage

Your data is stored securely on servers in the United Kingdom, compliant with GDPR and UK data protection laws.

Data Retention

We retain your data for:

• Active accounts: Duration of account existence plus 12 months after last activity
• Deleted accounts: 30 days for recovery, then permanently deleted
• Legal requirements: Longer if required by law

Your Privacy Rights

Under GDPR and applicable data protection laws, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Correct inaccurate information
• Delete your data ("right to be forgotten")
• Restrict processing
• Data portability
• Object to processing
• Withdraw consent at any time

To exercise these rights, contact admin@yoma.world. For full details, see our Privacy Policy.

8. Platform Rules and Prohibited Conduct

Acceptable Use

Yoma must be used only for:

• Skills development
• Employment seeking
• Impact work
• Legitimate educational purposes

Prohibited Activities

You may not:

General Prohibitions:

• Use Yoma for commercial, political, or religious promotion unrelated to opportunities
• Impersonate others or create fake accounts
• Share false or misleading information
• Harass, threaten, or abuse other users
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to systems or accounts

Content Prohibitions:

• Post illegal, harmful, or offensive content
• Share content that is racist, violent, abusive, or pornographic
• Upload copyrighted material without permission
• Distribute malware, viruses, or malicious code
• Spam or send unsolicited messages

Data Prohibitions:

• Share other users' personal information without consent
• Scrape or harvest data from the platform
• Use automated systems (bots) without authorization
• Attempt to reverse-engineer platform technology

ZLTO Misuse:

• Fraud or manipulation of the rewards system
• Selling or trading ZLTO outside authorized channels
• Creating multiple accounts to exploit rewards

Reporting Violations

If you encounter prohibited conduct, report it to admin@yoma.world or use the in-platform reporting tools.

Consequences

Violations may result in:

• Warning and required corrective action
• Temporary suspension
• Permanent account termination
• Referral to law enforcement (for illegal activities)
• Legal action for damages

9. Intellectual Property

Yoma Content

All content on Yoma—including text, graphics, logos, software, and design—is owned by RLabs or licensed to us. You may not:

• Copy, modify, or distribute our content without permission
• Use our trademarks or branding without authorization
• Reverse-engineer our platform or technology

User Content

When you post content on Yoma (such as profile information, comments, or submissions), you:

• Retain ownership of your content
• Grant Yoma a license to use, display, and distribute your content as necessary to provide services
• Confirm you have the right to post the content
• Agree your content complies with these Terms

Partner Content

Opportunities and content from partners remain their property. Partners grant Yoma permission to display their opportunities on the platform.

Credentials

Credentials issued through YoID are cryptographically signed by the issuing organization. Yoma provides the infrastructure but does not claim ownership of credential content.

Open Source

Some components of Yoma use open-source licenses. Those components are governed by their respective licenses (e.g., Creative Commons, MIT, Apache).

10. Disclaimers and Limitations

Service "As Is"

Yoma is provided "as is" and "as available." We do not guarantee:

• Uninterrupted or error-free service
• Specific outcomes from using the platform
• That all opportunities will lead to employment
• Accuracy or reliability of third-party content

No Warranties

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including:

• Merchantability
• Fitness for a particular purpose
• Non-infringement

Partner Responsibility

Yoma is a marketplace connecting youth and opportunity providers. We are not responsible for:

• The quality, accuracy, or legality of partner opportunities
• Partner fulfillment of promises or commitments
• Employment outcomes or credential recognition
• Disputes between youth and partners

Always review partner terms and verify opportunity legitimacy before engaging.

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

• Yoma and RLabs are not liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages
• Our total liability to you for any claims will not exceed the amount you paid to use Yoma (which is zero, as the platform is free)

This limitation applies to claims based on contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or any other legal theory.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Yoma, RLabs, and our partners from any claims, damages, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of the platform
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your infringement of others' rights
• Content you post or share

11. Changes to These Terms

Updates

We may update these Terms to reflect:

• Changes in our services
• New features or functionality
• Legal or regulatory requirements
• Platform policy updates

Notification

When we update these Terms, we will:

• Post the new version on the platform
• Update the "Last Updated" date
• Notify you through email or in-platform notification (for material changes)

Continued Use

Your continued use of Yoma after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms. If you disagree with changes, you must stop using the platform and may delete your account.

12. Termination and Account Deletion

Your Right to Leave

You can delete your account at any time by:

• Using the account deletion feature in your settings, or
• Emailing admin@yoma.world with your deletion request

Upon deletion:

• Your account access is immediately revoked
• Your profile and personal data are deleted within 30 days
• Credentials stored in your YoID wallet remain under your control (self-sovereign)
• Some data may be retained in anonymized form for analytics
• ZLTO balances are forfeited (non-transferable)

Inactive Accounts

To maintain platform security and data minimization:

• After 13 months of inactivity, we send a notification
• After 6 additional months (19 months total inactivity), your account is automatically deleted
• You can prevent deletion by logging in at any time

Termination by Yoma

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts for:

• Serious violations of these Terms
• Fraudulent or illegal activity
• Harm to other users or the platform
• Court orders or legal requirements

If we terminate your account for violations:

• You may not create a new account for 5 years
• Your data will be deleted per our standard process
• Outstanding ZLTO balances are forfeited
• Legal action may be pursued if warranted

13. Contact Us

Questions or Concerns

If you have questions about these Terms or the platform, contact us:

Email: admin@yoma.world
Support: help@yoma.world

RLabs (Yoma Data Controller)
54 Kiewiet Road, Bridgetown
Athlone 7764, Cape Town
Western Cape, South Africa

Privacy Compliance Officer: Desme Jacobs (admin@yoma.world)

Complaints

If we cannot resolve your concern, you may file a complaint with:

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Wycliffe House, Water Lane
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
England, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 303 123 1113
Email: dataprotectionfee@ico.org.uk
Web: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/

Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of South Africa. Any disputes will be resolved in the courts of South Africa, except where your local laws provide you with additional protections.

Acknowledgment

By clicking "I Agree," registering for, or using Yoma, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy.

Thank you for being part of the Yoma community. Together, we're building pathways from learning to earning for youth worldwide.

© 2026 Yoma. All Rights Reserved.