1. Introduction

These Platform Use Guidelines ("Guidelines") apply to anyone who creates, manages, or participates in causes, campaigns, petitions, fundraising, marketplace listings, or events on Ardent Africa ("the Platform," "we," "our," or "us"). They are binding on you when you start or use a cause. They work together with our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree to these Guidelines, you may not start or manage a cause on the Platform. We may update these Guidelines from time to time; continued use after updates constitutes acceptance.

2. Acceptable Use

You must use the Platform only for lawful purposes. You agree to:

• Provide accurate and truthful information in your campaigns, listings, events, and profile

• Comply with all applicable local, national, and international laws (including those of Ghana and any country where your cause operates)

• Respect the rights of donors, supporters, beneficiaries, buyers, attendees, and other users

• Use funds and petition outcomes only as stated in your campaign

• Represent marketplace services and event offerings honestly, including pricing, availability, and delivery expectations

3. Eligibility to Start Causes

To start a cause (campaign, petition, or fundraiser) on the Platform, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age or have valid parental or guardian consent

• Have the legal capacity to enter into binding agreements

• Operate in a supported country (currently Ghana only; other African countries may be added later)

• Complete identity and phone verification as required by the Platform before creating a cause

While public fundraising approvals are being finalised, the Platform may limit creation of new fundraising and hybrid campaigns to authorised Ardent Africa Foundation accounts. Petitions and other cause types may remain available to eligible users as shown in the app. When public fundraising opens more broadly, eligibility and verification requirements for user-led campaigns will apply as described in these Guidelines and on our Fees page.

4. Prohibited Content and Conduct

You must NOT:

• Create fraudulent, misleading, or deceptive campaigns or misuse donor or supporter data

• Harass, threaten, or harm others; promote hate speech, violence, or discrimination

• Use the Platform for illegal activities or to circumvent verification or platform rules

• Falsify signatures, donations, or beneficiary information

• Use funds for personal enrichment beyond what is clearly stated in the campaign

• Misrepresent an ordinary user campaign as an Ardent Africa Foundation cause

5. Campaign and Cause Rules

When you create a cause, you agree to:

• Honestly represent the beneficiary and the intended use of funds or petition outcomes

• Use raised funds only for the purposes described in your campaign

• Maintain the integrity of petitions (no fake or duplicate signatures)

• Provide updates to supporters when reasonably required by the Platform or applicable law

• If you operate a cause on behalf of the Ardent Africa Foundation, accurately represent that it is Foundation-led and comply with Foundation policies

6. Fundraising, Fees, and Withdrawals

Donations are processed through our payment partners. Causes operated by the Ardent Africa Foundation use a zero platform fee path: the full gift supports the cause as shown on the cause page, and those pages do not display the standard crowdfunding fee breakdown.

For standard public fundraising and hybrid campaigns created by ordinary users (when public fundraising is enabled), platform and processing fees may apply as described on our Fees page. Withdrawal of funds is subject to our withdrawal rules, verification, and any applicable fees. You must comply with tax and reporting obligations in your jurisdiction. Our refund policy is set out in our Donor Guarantee and related pages.

7. Verification and Compliance

Causes created by authorised Ardent Africa Foundation accounts are automatically marked as verified on the Platform and display Foundation trust indicators. Other campaign creators may apply for Verified Cause status through our verification review process, which includes identity checks, documentation review, and administrative approval.

We may require you to verify your identity, phone number, or the legitimacy of your cause (including documents or evidence). Failure to comply, or discovery of misleading or fraudulent conduct, may result in suspension or termination of your account and campaigns, withholding of funds, and reporting to authorities where required by law.

8. Intellectual Property

You retain ownership of content you submit. By submitting content, you grant us a licence to use, display, and distribute it in connection with the Platform. You must not upload content that infringes others' intellectual property or rights.

9. Suspension and Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account or campaigns at any time if we reasonably believe you have violated these Guidelines, our Terms of Service, or applicable law. We may also remove content that we determine violates our policies. Where appropriate, we may offer a way to appeal; contact us using the details below.

10. Disclaimers

Ardent Africa is an intermediary platform. We do not guarantee the success of any campaign, the accuracy of campaign content, or the conduct of users. We do not endorse any specific user-led cause unless it has completed our Verified Cause programme or we state otherwise. Causes explicitly identified as Ardent Africa Foundation causes are operated by or on behalf of the Foundation and are distinguishable by Foundation badges on the Platform. Use of the Platform and any reliance on campaign information is at your own risk.

11. Governing Law and Disputes

These Guidelines are governed by the laws of Ghana. Any disputes arising from these Guidelines or your use of the Platform in connection with causes shall be resolved through binding arbitration or in the courts of Ghana, as set out in our Terms of Service.

12. Changes to These Guidelines

We may update these Guidelines from time to time. We will post the updated Guidelines on this page and update the "Last Updated" date. Material changes may be communicated by email or in-app notice where appropriate. Your continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Guidelines.

13. Contact

For questions about these Guidelines or to report a concern, please contact us:

Contact form (visit our Contact page), legal@ardentafrica.com