The acronym BAWA refers to Bar Waitresses, and a Kiswahili word that translates to 'wings to fly' in YWCAA's context. The BAWA program that aims at giving the grandmothers 'wings to fly' (empowerment) was initiated by YWCAA in partnership with Cordaid Kenya and the African Women's Development Fund (AWDF) in 2004. The idea was to mitigate the socio-economic effects of HIV/AIDS among women, with special attention to young women serving as Bar Waitresses to earn a living. In 2007, YWCAA through support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation expanded the BAWA program to include the urban marginalized grandmothers living within four informal settlements of Kibera, Kibagare, Mukuru and Kawangware. The 'giving birth' strategy, where a 'BAWA' best practice group gets the honour to initiate another group has seen the BAWA groups increase. Kibagare 'BAWA' being one of such groups has given birth to the Maajabu Grandmothers Self Help Group.

The "giving birth strategy" aims at establishing a grandmothers movement. The word 'Maajabu' is a Kiswahili word that means 'Wonders'. The Maajabu group has undergone the same model practiced under the BAWA program namely - sensitization and capacity building on HIV/AIDS, group formation, leadership skills, gender, basic entrepreneurship skills, life skills and start up of groups management income generating activities under the YWCAA's Community Revolving Loan Funds (CRLF). The main aim is to empower the vulnerable grandmothers and their households as means of addressing the effects of HIV/AIDS, gender based violence and other cross cutting issues. Since its inception over a decade ago, it has directly impacted lives of over 10,000 individuals; and indirectly reached out to over 30,000 members of the community.

The acronym BAWA refers to Bar Waitresses, and a Kiswahili word that translates to 'wings to fly' in YWCAA's context. The BAWA program that aims at giving the grandmothers 'wings to fly' (empowerment) was initiated by YWCAA in partnership with Cordaid Kenya and the African Women's Development Fund (AWDF) in 2004. The idea was to mitigate the socio-economic effects of HIV/AIDS among women, with special attention to young women serving as Bar Waitresses to earn a living. In 2007, YWCAA through support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation expanded the BAWA program to include the urban marginalized grandmothers living within four informal settlements of Kibera, Kibagare, Mukuru and Kawangware. The 'giving birth' strategy, where a 'BAWA' best practice group gets the honour to initiate another group has seen the BAWA groups increase. Kibagare 'BAWA' being one of such groups has given birth to the Maajabu Grandmothers Self Help Group.

The "giving birth strategy" aims at establishing a grandmothers movement. The word 'Maajabu' is a Kiswahili word that means 'Wonders'. The Maajabu group has undergone the same model practiced under the BAWA program namely - sensitization and capacity building on HIV/AIDS, group formation, leadership skills, gender, basic entrepreneurship skills, life skills and start up of groups management income generating activities under the YWCAA's Community Revolving Loan Funds (CRLF). The main aim is to empower the vulnerable grandmothers and their households as means of addressing the effects of HIV/AIDS, gender based violence and other cross cutting issues. Since its inception over a decade ago, it has directly impacted lives of over 10,000 individuals; and indirectly reached out to over 30,000 members of the community.