The greatest threat to the Masta tradition is not hostility it is silence. As young people move to Kathmandu, Gulf countries, or abroad for work, fewer remain in villages to carry out elaborate seasonal rituals. Children born in cities may never witness a Masta possession ceremony or know the name of their family’s Kul Devta. The Gura Masta Foundation’s Youth Engagement Program was created to reverse this generational disconnect by building a network of informed, passionate young cultural guardians who carry the tradition forward with both pride and knowledge.

The program trains Youth Ambassadors through a structured curriculum combining fieldwork, mentorship by senior Dhamis and elders, and academic scholarship. Participants travel to remote shrine sites, attend Dhamelo ceremonies, interview village elders, and document what they witness. Some schools in rural areas are beginning to include lessons about local history and indigenous belief systems, helping children take pride in their own heritage and the Foundation actively partners with such schools to deepen this work. Students are also supported with scholarships to pursue higher studies in ethnography, history, folklore, and cultural documentation.

Leadership development is central to the program’s design. Trained ambassadors return to their own communities as educators and advocates, hosting storytelling events, folk music sessions, and cultural workshops in villages and schools. The goal is not simply to memorize traditions but to understand them deeply enough to explain, defend, and evolve them. By investing in young people now, the Foundation is building a self-sustaining chain of cultural transmission that will outlast any single generation of elders or practitioners.