Angel Mollel’s remarkable story led her to create 1 Love non-profit

As the sunrise awakened in Tanzania, East Africa, Angel Mollel, a sophomore at CU majoring in media production started her day making tea for breakfast. Mollel showered with a bucket of ice cold water, put on her school uniform and tidied up before heading to school. The Ormelili village was traditional as it consisted of numerous Maasai mud huts with the nearest town located 15 miles away. She had 16 siblings who inhabited two houses, ages ranging from 7 to 30. 

“After school, I would go home, put on my Maasai clothing and either cook for the family, help clean the house, take care of younger children; or sometimes I would have to tend to the goats or walk to the market if it was market day,” said Mollel. “Later in the evening I would get my homework done, wash up and go to bed.”

According to Mollel, the curriculum in Tanzania was based upon two factors: repetition and memorization. The teachers spent all year preparing their students for national exams in hopes of having a good reputation as a school. An American family owned the school Mollel attended which was considered better equipped; however, it operated the same as others in the country. In 2010, Mollel’s life changed forever when she met her adoptive father, Tony Matteroli. 

“I knew from the minute I saw Angel that she was something special, I just saw something special in her eyes. She’s determined, intelligent, passionate, kind and caring, and is beyond generous,” said Matteroli. “People always comment how I changed her life, but in reality she has changed mine much more.”

As a volunteer at Mollel’s school, Matteroli observed the class and saw her on the playground having significant health issues. They soon became friends and he took Mollel to the doctor to discover the cause of her degrading health. According to Mollel, she was diagnosed with malaria and stomach parasites which were extremely common in Tanzania. Matteroli bought Mollel and one of her sister’s clothes, shoes and dresses for church. He took them on trips to see the city, they saw movies and went on safaris. Matteroli wanted to provide a better education for Mollel and decided to meet with her family to discuss plans to have her move to the United States. Her family believed Matteroli’s offer was an exciting opportunity for their child. 

In 2012, Mollel moved to Thornton, Colorado where she began her new life, excelling in school with the help of her adoptive father. Colorado’s snowy weather, mountains and paved clean streets were a stark contrast to her village. During high school, Mollel’s friends encouraged her to start a non-profit. The title of the organization is inspired by Bob Marley’s songs. In 2018, she officially began the non-profit, 1 Love, which is focused on a mission to empower the Maasai people and change lives. 

“Angel is the most giving person I have ever met,” said Rachel Morris, a friend of Mollel. “That is where her heart is, it’s dedicated to giving back to where she is from.”

Mollel’s projects are dedicated to helping the Maasai people of Tanzania including: providing a clean water source, electricity, solar power, propane burners and sponsoring several children in order for them to receive a quality education. Currently, she is working on several projects to rebuild livestock corrals, homes for women and building a school in her village. 

Although each of these projects creates a positive change, Mollel said that a great deal of work still needs to be done in regards to education and gender roles. Within her culture, she emphasized how education is still not considered a priority and described how domestic abuse continues against women and children. 

“In my opinion, educating the Maasai will actually help preserve our culture,” said Mollel. “We can then fight for ourselves when the government tries to take our land, or if there is a dispute on water rights, or grazing land for our livestock. We need to raise educated Maasai, whose children will be educated.”

Each summer Mollel returns home to Tanzania to help take care of her family, work on 1 Love projects, and meets with contractors and government officials. She has seen first-hand how climate change affects her home environment. Her village’s water source comes from Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa. According to Mollel, the reserve is getting smaller, which negatively impacts the water supply. Droughts have impacted their community and animals have died due to lack of a water source. 

“Livestock is basically like a bank account for a Maasai, so if a cow dies, that’s a major loss. And the rainy season is getting more intense, and in the last few years, rains have washed out our crops,” said Mollel. “There are things a Maasai family can’t just bounce back from without help.”

In 2021, Mollel was named Denver’s Most Remarkable Woman which highlights influential women in Colorado by Fox31, a local broadcast news station. After she received the award, Mollel said she felt 1 Love was truly making a difference. 

“I hope that when someone hears my story and learns of 1 Love, they will think that if a girl from a mud hut in [Tanzania] can help others and make a difference, so can they. And I really, really want young girls anywhere in the world to know that they can do anything they want,” said Mollel.