Six good news stories to put a smile on your dial.

Two childhood BFFs from Mozambique have discovered that they have been adopted by families that live in the same town – in Arizona, USA. 

Kelvin and Alfonso were orphaned after their parents died of AIDS, and supported each other through that tough time in their young lives. They were both adopted by different families in 2008 and ended up living in the same town of Gilbert. When their parents found out that the boys are friends, they arranged a surprise reunion, and they’ve picked up where they left off.

The now 18-year-olds went to the same high school, played soccer together and are both off to uni together in the new school year. They both want to continue their education so they can help people back in their home country, particularly making adoptions easier for future parents of the many orphans of Mozambique.

School creates a "buddy bench" for kids with no friends to play with at lunchtime.

This one was Mons' favourite story of the week: a Canadian school that has installed a buddy bench.  It's a place students can go if they have no one to play with, the idea being that other pupils should go over and join them or ask them to play. Like she says on the podcast, she wished they had 'em for adults:

(The Mamamia podcast has good news EVERY week.  Post continues after audio:)            

Steven Tyler makes the day of a fan with Down Syndrome by inviting him onstage. Fan totally owns it.

When Anthony Yorfido, a 24-year-old man with Down Syndrome, tried to get tickets to see his favourite performer, Steven Tyler, in concert in Niagara Falls, Ontario, he was devastated to find that tickets were sold out.

In a serendipitous twist of events, on the day of Tyler’s final performance, Yorfido and his mother ran into the Aerosmith singer at a local pharmacy. Yorfido ran and threw his arms around Tyler in a hug, and when the 68-year-old rockstar found out that Yorfido wasn’t able to get tickets to the show, he arranged backstage passes AND invited Yorfido up on stage with him that night.

Squirrels adopt abandoned baby squirrels, and it's cute overload.

  A new study has found that squirrels will adopt abandoned or orphaned baby squirrels. It's a significant finding because while such adoptions are typical among species that live in extended family groups, like lions and chimps, it's much less common among asocial animals, like squirrels. Parent squirrels are most likely to adopt baby squirrels that are related to them, such as nieces, nephews and grandchildren.

Adoption is also most likely to occur if the adoptive mother is nursing at the time, proving that like humans, food is the quickest way to the heart.  

The full episode of Mamamia Out Loud is here. It's the podcast with all the news of the week: