this is a really great idea! funny, i ran across this site when a Blackberry ad popped across my screen, with the founder in the ad.

Quoted: Make a loan to an entrepreneur in the developing world for as little as $25. Kiva is the world's first online lending platform connecting online lenders to entrepreneurs across the globe...We let you loan to the working poor.
Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you've sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.