Since Vittana began in 2007, its lenders have given more than 150,000 dollars to about 200 international students — often ten or 25 dollars at a time. The organization is working to build micro-loan programs in Peru, Cambodia, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Mongolia and Vietnam.

It’s also connecting lenders from countries across the world. To help an aspiring Peruvian nurse, 17 strangers pooled together their resources in September of 2009, lending a total of 700 dollars. The lenders included a mother in Norway, an MBA student in Boston, a banker in New York, a professional poker player in Los Angeles and an engineer in Seattle.

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