Life and Work with Moriah Richardson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Moriah Richardson.

Moriah, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have always had a love for different cultures since I was a young girl. Traveling and experiencing this world and what it has to offer, is what helped me gain a positive cultural identity for myself. By living in these foreign countries, I really became in tune with who I am. My personality was shaped significantly by experiencing culture shock. I learned to trust my gut, survive during periods of loneliness and unfamiliarity, and more of my character showed in stressful situations. Being a solo female traveler was one of the hardest things for me, especially being so young. Breaking the language barrier, battling homesickness, getting lost constantly, etc. those were the situations that truly showed me about my character and even added to it.

My love for different cultures goes hand-in-hand with humanitarian work. I started working with children as soon as I graduated high school. I’ve always been a compassionate person but I never knew how far it would take me. Young children are vulnerable to developing social and emotional problems that can affect their future. My goal is to empower the children and show them what they are capable of. In order to connect with people and educate them, it requires you to have an understanding of all human situations that we share. It doesn’t matter what race, religion, ethnicity, or social status. I went into these classrooms with the idea of teaching these children everything that I could; I never thought they’d end up being my biggest teachers. I have developed a completely new perspective on how I view people around me, what their needs are, and also mine. Traveling and helping people in need has truly provided me so much support in building my personality in my own community.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I experienced many bumps in the road on my journey abroad. Learning how to overcome homesickness is one of them. I never thought I’d miss my city as much as I did, considering it had not changed in most of the years of me residing there. I missed everything from the restaurants, my friends and family, running water, air-conditioning, driving, etc. pretty much anything that people in the Western world take for granted. Homesickness is something I expected, but not to this caliber. I did everything I could to not let it become a crippling part of my experience abroad. My advice for anyone traveling abroad is to keep active and do not worry about what is going on back at home. One thing that helps me a lot was building a routine for myself, the same way I had a routine back at home. Forming a routine help put some normality back in my life. Going out and meeting friends was also a great distraction. You’ll find that other travelers are going through some of the same things.

Please tell us about your work.
After looking back on my travels, some of the things that make me most proud are all of the language barriers I have broken and seeing the impact I’ve made on peoples lives. Teaching people and learning what their needs are, has built my self-esteem immensely. I believe that every child has the right to basic education. When we help people reach their full capacity, we can motivate them to play a bigger role in their own community, their own education, and we can build sustainable long-term growth in their lives. I truly wanted to make a difference in peoples lives and show them how are they are worthy of a beautiful life. Humanitarian work helps me evaluate my own purpose in this life.

There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that a lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
I initially got the travel bug from my parents. We had been on many cruises around the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Jamaica, and a ton of other places. So it was no surprise to my family when my bags were packed with my passport in hand as soon as I turn 18. I grew up watching Parts of the Unknown with Anthony Bourdain. The way he moved through life without judging people, and his gift for storytelling, has always had an impact on me. Anthony’s goal was to make the world a more inclusive place for everyone. Working as a humanitarian is a blessing because I get to do something that I love that aligns with my morals. When finding a volunteer group that works for you, find an organization that specializes in a cause that you are passionate about. Find something that matches your skills, interest, and also aligns with your morals. Start in your own community and see what differences you can make it there.

Contact Info:

• Email: moriah.richardson10@yahoo.com
• Instagram: @moriahchanel
• Twitter: @moriahchanel

Image Credit:
Black and white photo: Orlando Pelagio Instagram: @orlandopelagio

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