The Bochabela String Project, which introduces children from marginalized communities in South Africa to string instruments, is based at the musical training school, Musicon, in the city of Bloemfontein, in the Free State Province. Peter Guy, an American bassist, founded The Bochabela String Project, which takes its name from the Bochabela Primary School in the black township of Bochabela, just outside Bloemfontein. Until the end of its rule in 1994, the apartheid government of South Africa forced non-white South Africans to live in separate geographic areas or townships, often densely populated, impoverished and lacking basic resources. In 1988, Guy hand-selected 18 children from the Bochabela Primary School to teach them how to play instruments. Today, the Bochabela String Project serves more than 500 children, who play in local, national and international orchestras. The children are given instruments and are trained at significantly reduced costs.