Author and Founder of Lumos, J.K. Rowling, was interviewed live on Facebook by writer and broadcaster Lauren Laverne in London tonight to highlight the plight of the estimated eight million children around the world living in orphanages. She explained the vital work of Lumos, the non-profit organisation she founded a decade ago, to end the institutionalisation of children globally 2050.

The Harry Potter author said developed countries stopped putting children in orphanages decades ago because of the harm they caused.

In the interview, J.K. Rowling spoke passionately about the need for a global re-education to make people understand that supporting orphanages harms children. "If you take nothing else away tonight,' she said, "I'd like you to remember this is a solvable problem. Eight million children is an unfathomably large number - it's so hard to really take in what that means, eight million - but we can solve it. We absolutely do need funds but we need to change minds. And if we change minds we will change lives."

Also announced is the launch of a new limited edition T-shirt on sale now, featuring a quote from J.K. Rowling from her Very Good Lives Harvard commencement speech in 2008. The ‘Be the Light’ T-shirts feature a design using inspirational words from the author: “We do not need magic to transform our world; we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already”.

They are available to buy now at www.represent.com/lumos. At least 60% of the retail price will go to support Lumos programmes around the world.

The Facebook Live interview, as well as touching on the author’s writing, concluded with a few questions submitted online by members of the public. It marked the start of the We Are Lumos Worldwide global campaign to raise awareness and urge people to get involved with the non-profit organisation’s work to bring the hidden children to light and get them home to families.

For more images from the Lumos Facebook Live and fundraising event, please use this link.