Saraf has raised nearly $18,000 within 4 days.

By Raif Karerat

WASHINGTON, DC: An eight-year-old boy from Laurel, Maryland, has raised nearly $18,000 dollars within three days to aid victims of the earthquake in Nepal that that claimed more than 7,000 lives and left thousands more injured and destitute.

Related story: 8-year-old Neev Saraf from Maryland raises $25,000 for victims of Nepal earthquake

According to Neev Saraf’s father, Prakash, who spoke with The American Bazaar over the phone, Neev has always been an altruistic soul. He described the boy as one who felt compelled to visit homeless shelters from an early age, always bringing groceries along with treats and snacks to liven the spirits of the men and women he encountered there.

Neev has always eschewed gifs and presents, instead asking that his parents place money in a piggy bank, said Prakash. Every year on his birthday there would be a few hundred dollars accumulated, and Neev would go and hand the piggy bank over to either a homeless shelter or the Salvation Army.

After learning of the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal last week, Neev asked if he could send the $384 from his piggy bank there.

His father agreed it was an excellent idea, but it wasn’t long before Neev enhanced his ambitions even further and set out to contact his friends and family to see if they would donate as well. Within one day, he had raised $4,000, according to his father.

At that point, Neev’s father decided the scope of Neev’s mission might require structuring on a larger scale, and they reached out to the American Nepal Medical Foundation, with whom a crowdfunding page was set up to expand Neev’s philanthropic reach to unprecedented levels.

With his crowdfunding website running on all cylinders, Neev’s new goal is to raise $25,000 by his birthday on May 24.

“I’m really glad to do this fundraiser because it’s helping my culture. I’m really depressed because a lot of people in Nepal have died and about 8 million have no shelter. I’m trying my best to raise up to $25,000 to save Nepal and save those with no shelter,” Neev commented via telephone.

Neev’s parents Prakash and Majila immigrated to the U.S. from Nepal 15 and 25 years ago, respectively, before settling in Laurel. Prakash Saraf described the family as having Indian roots, and noted that Neev, an only child, was born and raised stateside.

(Updated on May 2, 2015)