J.K Rowling educates fans about donating to orphanages with new charitable campaign for Lumos
Renowned author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling has launched a new campaign for her charity, Lumos with a recent Facebook Live Interview.
Lumos was founded by Rowling in an effort to support and transform the lives of children separated from their families and placed in orphanages.
“I’ve met countless people who have told me that [Harry Potter] was their refuge, Hogwarts was their safe place and those characters were their family, so that is hugely meaningful to me,” she says in the video (shown below). Rowling urges her fans to think twice before donating to orphanages, stating, “What you may be doing is contributing to real harm.”
She also encourages individuals to do their research, before donating, “If people understand, I’m not going to give money to this orphanage, I’m going to do a little bit of research and I’m going to find out who’s operating in that country and who will reunite families. I’ll give the money there.”
The We Are Lumos Worldwide Campaign includes Rowling’s new limited edition shirts, of which 60 percent of the purchase price of each shirt will go towards Lumos programs and support the eight million children placed in institutions. Each shirt features a quote taken directly from her Harvard commencement speech in 2008, “We do not need magic to transform our world; we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already.”
In addition to her discussing her Lumos campaign, Rowling also highlights her busy schedule with her new film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as well as her recent stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Watch the full interview below.
To support Lumos and learn more about the We Are Lumos Worldwide Campaign, visit https://wearelumos.org/worldwide/