One Sleeping Bag for One Life
One sleeping bag can protect one life.
The "One Sleeping Bag for One Life" program is a humanitarian response that began in the aftermath of the 2015 Nepal Earthquake, when thousands of families were suddenly left without shelter and forced to survive in the open during harsh winter conditions.
What started as an emergency response to extreme need quickly became a practical and life-saving intervention. Alongside food assistance, warm sleeping bags proved to be essential for survival in the freezing mountain climate of Nepal. Nearly 1,500 sleeping bags had been distributed to vulnerable families post the earthquake.
The need has only increased in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic crisis pushed already vulnerable families deeper into poverty, leaving many without income, shelter security, or adequate protection from the cold.
The Challenge
Nepal continues to face severe poverty, with a large proportion of the population living in rural and high-altitude regions between 500m and 1500m. Many families survive on daily wage labor, often earning less than basic subsistence levels. When work stops, income stops immediately.
In these conditions, families are often forced to live in fragile huts or makeshift shelters that provide little to no protection from freezing winter temperatures. Children are especially at risk, as malnutrition combined with exposure to extreme cold can lead to severe illness and, in some cases, fatal consequences.
Our Response
To address this urgent need, BEF provides high-quality sleeping bags to the most vulnerable families before the onset of winter.
Each sleeping bag offers immediate protection against freezing temperatures and helps families survive the harsh winter months with greater safety and dignity.
The program is designed around a simple but powerful principle: One Sleeping Bag can protect one life.
Long-Term Vision
The "One Sleeping Bag for One Life" program continues to operate as both an emergency response and a long-term support initiative. While it began as a post-earthquake intervention, it has evolved into a recurring winter relief program for families facing poverty, displacement, and crisis.
All Educare Families under our care now receive sleeping bags to ensure that no child or vulnerable person is left unprotected during the coldest months of the year.
A sleeping bag may be a small intervention — but for many families in Nepal, it means warmth, safety, and survival.