​The One Clinic, One Garden initiative is showing that the fight against hunger, disease, and unemployment does not start in the boardroom but in communities - on the ground, in the garden.
These are the sentiments of Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko during the handover of a vegetable garden at Kammeldrift Clinic in Roodeplaat, Tshwane on Wednesday, 23 July 2025, marking another milestone in the One Clinic, One Garden initiative where healing meets sustainability.
The project which is more than just planting vegetables across clinics in the province, aims to turn clinics into spaces of nutrition, dignity, and empowerment. It is a collaboration between the Gauteng Department of Health, Ebotse Development and Training and other partners. 
"Our clinics are struggling under the weight of lifestyle diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, and other heart related diseases, these are the silent killers filling our waiting rooms. A solution is not always a pill, sometimes, the solution is on the plate. 
"When people eat fresh, healthy food, when they eat food they grow with their own hands, they live longer, they live better, and they spend less time in clinics," said the MEC.
The initiative does not end with a vegetable garden and tools to ensure its sustainability, local residents are also being trained in farming and food production. This will allow them to grow food, form cooperatives, sell their produce, and build sustainable livelihoods. They are also being paid stipends as part of the training.
In addition to the establishment of the vegetable garden, MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko rolled up her sleeves and joined in the painting of Kammeldrift Clinic, giving it a fresh, vibrant look. This act of renewal which reflects the spirit of care and dignity at the heart of the Gauteng Department of Health, is part of the Nelson Mandela Month initiatives.
"This year's Mandela Day theme reminds us that It is still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity, and here at Kameeldrift Clinic, we are doing just that with our hands, our hearts, and our land," added the MEC. 
Community members present also received the first harvest of the spinach from the vegetable garden. Members of the Clinic Committees have spearheaded this initiative, showing the power of local leadership in driving change and wellness in our communities.