A group of Nepalese students took to the streets of Tauranga today in an effort to raise money for victims of the devastating earthquake that ripped through their home country on Saturday.

The 7.8 magnitude quake killed more than 3,600 people and injured over 6,500, with aftershocks still being felt across the country.

The Napalese students were collecting on Devonport Road in Tauranga today. Photos: Tracy Hardy.

And in an effort to do what they can from the safety of the Bay of Plenty, the students – who are in New Zealand to learn English – have been seeking donations in Tauranga's CBD this afternoon.

Speaking for the 17-strong group, who are all from different parts of Nepal, Suraj Shrestha said he will be passing all money raised on to the Red Cross.

'We are all from Nepal and all from different parts of the country,” explains Suraj.

'Some are from Kathmandu, some are from Chitwan, so we are from all over.

'We felt lost when we heard about the earthquake and we were all thinking about our families and how they were.

'We know now that they are all fine, but many parts of Nepal have seen destruction and historical places have been damaged. We are worried.”

In a desperate attempt for news from their families, the group did everything they could to make contact with their loved ones as shocking images of the devastation surfaced via the world's media.

And as Suraj reveals, many of the group's friends back home have lost everything.

'We tried to reach our families through every way we could think of – through our mobile phones, through Viber and through other social media,” he says.

'We found out that some of our friends have been injured and some have lost their homes.

'They are still trying to recover from the earthquake. We are just trying to help the people in our country and we hope they will recover soon.

'Some parts of Nepal are still suffering from aftershocks and people are very worried, so we will try and help as much as we can.”