(Juba) – Thousands of young people in conflict affected areas of South Sudan are gaining access to digital learning for the first time through a new partnership between satellite communications company Intelsat and the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), a nonprofit founded by actor and peace advocate Forest Whitaker.
The three year agreement will bring high speed satellite powered internet to ten WPDI Community Learning Centres, including seven in South Sudan and three in neighbouring Uganda. The move is seen as a major step in overcoming the digital divide that continues to block educational progress in many parts of East Africa.
The learning centres, which support young people affected by war and political unrest, will now be connected to reliable internet for the first time. Intelsat will supply and install the required satellite equipment and provide long-term technical support and connectivity management.
“Education is the foundation for peace,” said Whitaker, who launched WPDI to empower young people in vulnerable communities. “With the right tools, youths can reclaim their futures to become powerful agents of peace in their communities.”
Internet access remains very limited across South Sudan. According to the International Telecommunication Union, only around 19% of people in the least developed countries—such as South Sudan and Uganda—have access to the internet. In rural and conflict-affected areas, that figure is often far lower, cutting off young people from digital resources and opportunities available elsewhere.
The satellite initiative aims to change that, beginning with the students who attend WPDI’s learning centres. With this new internet access, young people will be able to study online courses, join virtual programmes, and learn valuable digital literacy skills. These new services will be delivered alongside WPDI’s existing peace education, conflict resolution, entrepreneurship, and community leadership training.
Intelsat CEO Dave Wajsgras said the partnership reflects the company’s commitment to using connectivity as a force for social development. “Forest Whitaker and WPDI’s efforts represent exactly the kind of transformative work that satellite communications can enable,” he said. “We’re proud to support this initiative, which closes the digital divide and opens doors to opportunity in the communities that need it most.”
The centres involved in the project operate in areas where traditional internet infrastructure is either non-existent or not strong enough to support online education. Satellite connectivity offers a way to bypass this barrier and bring high-speed access directly to remote areas. For students in South Sudan—many of whom have had their education interrupted or ended by conflict—this means a chance to return to learning in a modern, connected way.
WPDI has already seen strong results from its existing education programmes. Graduates have gone on to become leaders and change-makers in their communities. One example is Benson Lugwar, a former child soldier from Uganda who, after training with WPDI, became a local radio host and was later elected to public office.
With this expansion into digital education, the hope is that many more young people in South Sudan will follow similar paths, equipped not just with peacebuilding and business skills, but also with the digital tools needed in today’s world.
The partnership between Intelsat and WPDI also fits into wider efforts across East Africa to improve connectivity and reduce the technology gap. Education—particularly digital learning—remains central to the country’s development goals as South Sudan continues to rebuild.
