Devani, a College of Engineering sophomore, said some children from his high school were shot and killed in the attack that lasted from Sept. 21 to Sept. 24. He said he plans to raise funds for not only those affected by the mall shootings, but also for their families and the affected mall employees.

“This attack was very shocking and hard to accept,” Devani said. “The most overwhelming part of it is not when it happened, or the timing of the attack, but because it was so close to home. It could have been my friends or family or me.”

The Al-Shabaab Islamist group claimed responsibility for the shootings, which resulted in more than 60 deaths and hundreds of injuries. BU political science professor Timothy Longman said this conflict is seen as a direct response to the Kenyan troops that have been stationed in Somalia for the past 20 years.

“Over the past couple of decades, there has been a series of incidents, and then the tension between Christians and Muslims has been growing,” Longman said. “In the regions of Kenya and Tanzania, there has been a growth in attacks, so that’s a very troubling escalation of violence in a region that has been mostly peaceful.”

Longman said the pattern of terrorist attacks by the group of self-identified radicals continues to contribute to the fear of Islamic terrorism.

As of Sunday, Devani said he has collected $678 just through word of mouth. He said he plans to reach out through social media outlets such as Facebook and YouTube to reach his fundraising goal of $5,000.

“I made a YouTube video for it [the fundraiser], and I’m just getting all my friends and family to spread the message to spark people’s curiosity and generosity, and just to get the message out there and for a lot of people donate money,” Devani said.

BU students and faculty have been enthusiastic about helping raise funds for this tragedy, Devani said. He said he is currently working with his fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, to create an event to raise funds and awareness for those affected by the shooting.

“Whoever wants to be involved in it is more than welcome to be,” Devani said. “If BU comes together, I believe when the word gets out and people start sharing my page on Facebook and sharing the links, I think I will reach the goal, and may even exceed it.”

With the help of the students and faculty at BU, Devani said he will accomplish his goal of helping those in need in Kenya. He is currently working with American Red Cross to ensure the money he raises will be distributed efficiently and correctly.

“A lot of victims have had trouble, and they’re going to need healthcare and a lot of them won’t receive it or they won’t be able to afford it,” Devani said. “My idea and my sense is to give some money toward people who will need some help after the event, later on, and the rest of the money will go towards feeding them and helping them get back on their feet.”

Devani said he hops to serve as a role model for other students to get involved in assisting those in need.

“I hope it [this fundraiser] will inspire other students,” Devani said. “I hope it does because so many places do need the help and it doesn’t really take a lot of effort on our part, and the difference you make is a lot more.”