By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Once a victim of bullying, Arzum Caglayancay is now making a stand for others.
The 31-year-old public servant is a finalist at the 2018 Mrs Australia Globe beauty pageant, making it a platform for her fight for mental-health awareness.
The event staged in Melbourne on 15 September focuses on charitable and philanthropic acts by women over 25.
Ms Caglayancay’s nominated charities are Project Karma and Lifeline – the latter of which helped her through her darkest days.
Extensive bullying and depression once drove her to several suicide attempts at high school and university.
When she emerged the other side, she dedicated herself to helping others as a public servant.
“Never judge a soul, lend a hand where you can, pick up someone who has fallen, and unify,” is her personal motto.
“Unity and people power cannot be purchased but felt within your heart and soul, then comes the changes we all thought were never possible.”
She advocated for a headspace office in Dandenong offering mental health services for young people.
Also, she has helped organise forums on mental health with Holt MP Anthony Byrne and Orygen Youth Health.
The cause of Project Karma is one that’s close to her heart.
“Child prostitution and displacement is still a topic of social neglect,” she says.
“It is a global matter that all humans are aware of. However, the stigma of not wanting to know it exists is still very strong.”
