Intelsat CEO Dave Wajsgras, WPDI Founder and CEO Forest Whitaker, and WPDI Executive Director Caroline Descombris at the partnership launch event in New York on June 25, 2025.(Source: WPDI)

Global satellite operator Intelsat has announced a partnership with Academy Award-winning actor and humanitarian Forest Whitaker's nonprofit the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) to enhance access to education in conflict-affected regions across Africa.

Intelsat said the collaboration will deliver high-speed Internet connectivity to WPDI's Community Learning Centers in South Sudan and Uganda, creating digital bridges to education for thousands of young people in areas where infrastructure has been insufficient or compromised.

The partnership was announced at a launch event in New York on Wednesday. Intelsat CEO Dave Wajsgras said the satellite provider will equip ten centers (seven in South Sudan and three in Uganda) with satellite connectivity.

Over the course of the three-year partnership, Intelsat will provide equipment, managed connectivity services, installation and ongoing technical support.

The company promised that the partnership would provide reliable Internet access to communities where traditional connectivity infrastructure is currently inadequate for modern online education.

The partnership comes at a time when Internet penetration remains low in many African countries, creating significant barriers to education.

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According to research from DataReportal in early 2025, Uganda had an Internet penetration rate of just 28%, while South Sudan's Internet penetration rate was even lower at 15.7%.

"Education is the foundation for peace," said Whitaker.

"At WPDI, we use technology as a conduit to opportunity – bringing knowledge to young people whose lives have been upended by violence and political unrest. With the right tools, youths can reclaim their futures to become powerful agents of peace in their communities," he added.

 WPDI was founded in 2012 by Whitaker and provides a wide range of programs aimed at training and supporting underprivileged individuals and groups in Africa, Europe, and Latin and North America – with a particular focus on the youth and women.

The satellite-powered connectivity from Intelsat will enable WPDI to significantly expand its educational offerings in East Africa, providing access to digital resources, online courses and virtual exchange programs that were previously impossible in these remote locations.

Intelsat said students will gain critical digital literacy skills alongside WPDI's established curriculum in conflict resolution, entrepreneurship and community development.

Wajsgras said Intelsat was upgrading the Internet connections for the learning centers in the two countries which will improve transmission speeds by between four and ten times.

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"The ability to communicate today at these ten community learning centers will be equivalent to a large enterprise," he explained.

"We're proud to support WPDI's efforts to bring young people together, close the digital divide, and create pathways to prosperity in communities that need it most," Wajsgras added.