With only some slight exaggeration, T&T can well be described as a magazine publisher’s graveyard.

Despite having a population notorious for its disinclination to read, which has seen a disheartening number of magazines spring up only to wither and die for lack of readership and advertising support, there is no shortage of creative people willing to try their hands at a new idea.

Such is the case of Sherine Mungal and Stuart Fraser, the founders of the recently-launched U magazine, styled as the Caribbean health digest.

Undaunted by the lengthy list of failed titles, Mungal told the Business Guardian, “There’s a long road ahead, its going to be a challenge, but we like that.”

She is confident that U will achieve success because she said there are a lot of health conscious people in T&T and the Caribbean who will become regular readers when they become aware of the magazine’s contents and reliability.

“There is nothing else out there. It’s pretty young, it’s fresh, it’s dynamic, the layout is very international.”

Praising his creativity, she gives Fraser, who is also creative director for the publication, the full credit for the magazine’s look.

The health digest is published by Eiditec Publishing, Mungal’s design and advertising company which was launched seven years ago in Pt Lisas.

She said eidetic means the ability to recall visual images in detail. Although many people are unfamiliar with the word and find it difficult to pronounce, Mungal said she and her associates felt it was relevant to their business: art, images, visuals.

“And its so unique,” she laughed.

Mungal said the company was established in Pt Lisas to take advantage of the presence of the energy firms in the Pt Lisas Industrial Estate, which today comprises many of its clients.

She recently moved the company and its eight employees to bigger quarters in Lange Park, Chaguanas.

Mungal said the company wanted to diversify and after looking at the market, “found that there was nothing relating to one of the major issues that happen to be plaguing us as Caribbean people: health. There are many health publications all over the world, why not the Caribbean?”

Mungal said U has an editorial advisory board comprising doctors who verify all information before it is published. The magazine also boasts a roster of local and Caribbean writers.

“In terms of it being Caribbean, we are going to ensure that we live by that because it is not a Trinidad publication, we are a Trinidad-based company and I would obviously like a significant amount of everything to be based on our experiences because we are the capital of the Caribbean.”

She said 10,000 copies of the magazine are being distributed free of charge to various institutions throughout the English-speaking Caribbean.

Now in its second issue with a third on the way, Mungal said additional copies of the magazine will be printed for sale and the company is now negotiating with retail outlets to display the magazine.

U is also available for paid subscription.

The long-term goal of our publication is for it to be available through sale in all the places where our Caribbean people might be—New York, Toronto, the Caribbean diaspora—wherever in the world they might be.”

Eidetic has calculated that at least eight people will read each copy and, as a quarterly, the publication has a three-month shelf life.

“It creates a niche for advertising companies because there are so many health-based products and services that are offered, but this is a really unique forum for them to communicate their messages and promote their products and their brands regionally. And we have found that people have been so willing to jump on the bandwagon.”

Mungal is nothing if not realistic about the immediate prospects for financial success. She said she does not expect U to make a profit even after passing its first year.

“As long as we break even, “ she said, confessing that although the magazine had not reached break-even point even with on its second issue, it was “very close” to doing so.

“All we want right now is for the magazine to become established. We are not going to compromise a quality publication for anything, so our printing quality is not going to be any less than what you are seeing now. It may improve, if anything.

“At the end of the day, we feel that we are making a contribution towards creating healthier people and healthier communities.

“If one person could read this magazine and get some benefit from it that they share with a parent, a friend or somebody, that would be satisfaction enough for is that we are actually doing something, slowly.”